From Wreck to Restored, PT658

By Founders and volunteers of Save the PT Boat, Inc.
Bill Weaver, Fred Juras and Jack Coulter
Save the PT Boat, Inc. is a member of the Columbia-Williamette Chapter

World War II had started in Europe and the U.S. anticipated the need for a small, fast, maneuverable, and well-armed vessel to patrol and defend the coast and attack larger ships. In 1938 the U.S. Navy held a contest. The result was the Motor Torpedo Boat, or Patrol Torpedo (PT) boat, pound for pound the the most heavily armed vessel of their era. While about a dozen boat builders competed, the primary builders were Elco of Bayonne, New Jersey and Higgins Industries New Orleans, Louisiana.

In all, 619 PT Boats were produced: 399 by Elco, 205 by Higgins Industries, and the balance by Huckins.

It was July 30, 1945 when a 78-foot wooden boat emerged from the Higgins Industries production plant, in New Orleans, Louisiana and was assigned by the U.S. Navy as the Motor Torpedo Boat PT658. Every square inch of this wooden boat was designed to take the war to the enemy, as did many of her fierce sister boats before her. 

 

PT658 was Higgins’ latest MTB design and had been reengineered and modified from earlier Higgins PTs as a heavily armed gunboat. During World War II the PT boat had the distinction of being the Navy’s heaviest armed vessel for it size. As a member of the Mosquito Fleet, it had a reputation to live up to and exceed.

PT658 was originally scheduled to serve in Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 45, assigned to the Pacific theater. However, the squadron was never commissioned and just prior to war’s end PT658 along with eleven sister boats, PT649 through 660, were rescheduled for Lend-lease to the Russia. Fortunately for today’s PT boat fans and enthusiasts, the war’s end cancelled the Lend-lease’s transfer of the final four boats to Russia, with PT658 being one of those four.

The four boats were kept together at first, but then PT657 was surplussed by the Navy in 1947 and was converted into a sport fishing boat. It operates to this day as the Malahini, based in San Diego. PTs 658-660 were sent south to Port Hueneme, California to the newly formed Pt. Mugu Pacific Missile Test range.

There in Port Hueneme, PT658 was used by the Navy until 1958 for missile test range picket duty, engineering development of radars for air launched missiles, and to resupply a USAF radar station on Santa Rosa Island. In the Santa Rosa role PT658 would run approximately 150 hours per month on three weekly round trips transporting supplies and personnel.

Upon release from Naval service in 1958, PT658 was purchased by an individual in the Oakland, California area who converted it into a pleasure boat and installed diesel engines. PT658 was renamed as the Dolphin and eventually fell into disrepair.

The Rebirth . . . .

In 1994, with a small glow of hope left in her proud heart, the former PT658 was acquired from the estate of the former owner with the hope to fully restore the boat to her former glory. To manage and participate in the restoration, a group of gray haired PT Boat Vets formed the non-profit Save the PT Boat, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization, to take custody of the historic World War II relic and see it reborn. 

The goal of Save the PT Boat Inc. was to restore the PT658 back to her “as-built” condition so that she could be used as a living history display. With historically authentic items and in a configuration that was used on PT Boats during WWII, including some modern day items to meet legally required safety regulations for an operating wooden boat, she is currently the only completely authentically restored operating (floating) US Navy PT Boat in the world.

After her purchase, the boat was carefully prepared for the trip, then transported to its new home in Portland, Oregon. PT658 was cradled aboard a barge moored to a Navy dock on Swan Island, behind the Navy Operations Support Center. From this point on the restoration took form, with Save the PT Boat, Inc., raising and managing funds for the start of the PT658’s complete restoration. 

It would take ten years and many, many unpaid volunteers and PT Vets to repair the wooden boat and three original Packard V-12 high octane gasoline engines. With a critical eye to detail, the group aimed to make the boat as close as possible to its original Higgins factory condition. Restoration plans included re-arming the boat as it was designed.

A Dream Realized . . . .

In late June of 2004 the boat was towed to Tomahawk Island Moorage during an Antique & Classic Wooden Boat Show and reintroduced to the public as a proud Higgins motor torpedo boat, PT658. Her first trial run occurred on Monday, August 30, 2004.

Since those early trial runs in 2004 the boat has under gone many additional restoration projects including but not limited to complete rearmament, deck rebuilding, engine overhaul and frame and hull reconstructions to mention a few.

She now moves about the Willamette River under her own power with three great growling Packard engines signaling, I’m back! However the boat’s restoration projects continue and maintenance and upkeep is nearly an every day occurrence.

In keeping with Oregon’s maritime tradition, Save The PT Boat, Inc., operates and displays PT658 in the Pacific Northwest as a recognized historic monument as well as a living memorial to all those who manned, fought, serviced and maintained these small warships during WWII.

In 2012, PT658 was also named to the National Historic Register by the National Park Service. 

PT658 is owned by Save The PT Boat, Inc., a non-profit that manages the continued restoration, maintenance and repair of this WWII era boat.

Here are her specs:

• Length: 78 feet 6 inches
• Beam: 20 feet 1 Inch
• Draft: 5 feet 3 Inches
• Displacement: 48 Tons
• Power: Three Packard model 5M-2500 V-12 marine engines, each producing up to1850 Horsepower. Packard 4M-2500 an earlier version with slightly less horsepower powers most PT boats during WWII. 
• Fuel: The engines burn 100 octane low lead aviation fuel.
• Top Speed: The boats can reach a top speed of 40-45 knots.

Engine development

• Based on the Liberty aircraft engine from WW I
• Developed in 1930’s in conjunction with Gar Wood for boat racing.
• 12700 Model 4M-2500 that powers most PT boats were built during WW II.
• Engine type: 60-degree V-12
• Rating: 1500 Horsepower at 2500 RPM.
• Supercharger: Centrifugal, Gear Driven, 7.64 to 1 ratio
• Displacement: 2490 cubic inches
• Bore x Stroke (in):  6 3/8 x 6 ½
• Compression Ratio: 6.4 to 1
• Weight with gear box: 3100 lbs.

Armament

• One 40mm Bofors M3 cannon: 4 round clips, 130 rounds per minute, range 5420 yards.
• One 37mm Oldsmobile M9 autocannon: 30 round magazine, 125rpm, range 8875 yards.
• Two twin 0.50 cal. Browning M2 Machine Guns: belt fed, 550 rounds per minute, max effective range 2500 yards.
• Two M4 20mm Oerlikon cannons: 60 round cap mag, 480roounfds per minute, range 5500 yards.
• Four Mk13 Aircraft Torpedoes: (600# warhead) 22.5-inch diameter, 13’ 6″ long, 33.5 knot speed, weight 2216#, range 6300 yards.
• Two M6 300lb. TNT depth charges.
• Two Thompson .45cal SMG, M1A 0.30cal Carbines, and .30 cal Browning M1918 (BAR).
• Two Mk50 8 cell rocket launchers, 5-inch Mark 7 rockets.
• One M2 60mm mortar for target illumination.
• Two .30 cal. Browning machine guns.