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fighting ships of the world

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

COASTAL FORCES

 

PT809 torpedo boat (1951)

 

Names

PT809

Builders

Electric Boat, Groton: PT809

Commissioned

2/1951: PT809

Losses

none

Transfers

none

Discarding

11.1959: PT809

 

Displacement standard, t

 

Displacement full, t

47

Length, m

29.9

Breadth, m

8.08

Draught, m

1.68

No of shafts

4

Machinery

4 Packard diesels

Power, h. p.

10000

Max speed, kts

46

Fuel, t

diesel oil

Endurance, nm(kts)

 

Armament

2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 3, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 1 x 1 - 81/12 M29 mortar, 4 - 572 TR (never really carried), 4 DC

Electronic equipment

 

Complement

17

Project history: PT809-812 were intended to embody wartime design lessons. All were aluminium; 809 was riveted, 810 riveted and welded, and 811 and 812 all-welded; each was designed to mount two single 40mm guns (one in 812), two twin 20mm, one 81mm mortar, one Mk 107 rocket launcher (812 only), four torpedo racks, and four depth charge racks; speed was set at 46kts (43 for the somewhat longer 812). Although these figures represented a considerable advance on Second World War practice, they still did not make up for the lack of an operational requirement for such coastal craft.

Modernizations: None.

Naval service: PT809 in November 1959 became a civil defence boat Guardian served for escort Presidential yachts and was placed out of service only in 1988.

PT809 1952

© Ivan Gogin, 2015