Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Operating Base	Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base Midway Atoll Adak Island
Equipment	PT boats
Engagements	Attack on Pearl Harbor Battle of Midway Aleutian campaign
Commanders
Commander	Lieutenant William C. Specht 1941

Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One (MTBRon 1) was aWorld War IIUnited States NavyPT boat squadron based atNaval Base Hawaii'sPearl Harbor PT Boat Base on 7 December 1941 during theAttack on Pearl Harbor. It was commanded by Lieutenant Lt. Comdr. William C. Specht and made up of 12 PT boats. After Pearl Harbor, MTBRon 1 was sent toMidway Atoll and took part in theBattle of Midway.^[1][2] MTBRon 1 was then sent to take part in theAleutian campaign. MTBRon 1 was commissioned 24 July 1940 and decommissioned 9 February 1945.^[3][4][5]

In April 1940 the US Navy designed the idea of PT boat squadrons. PT boat squadrons would have 12 boats each with its owncommanding officer. The PT boat captain, called officers-in-charge and the boat's crew in the squadron would move from boat to boat within their squadron, depending on availability of boats and crews. Boats could be transferred from squadron to squadron as needed based on need and losses. A total of 690 PT boats were built between 7 December 1941, and 1 October 1945. The PT boats were put in 43 Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons.^[6] Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron one originally was made up of experimental boats: PT-1, PT-2, PT-3, PT-4, PT-5, PT-6, PT-7, PT-8, and PT-9. After these early prototype boats had been tested and evaluated, MTBRon 1 boats were replaced with new 77-footElco Naval Division PT boats. At the outbreak ofWorld War II between the United States andImperial Japan on 7 December 1941, the squadron one was at the Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base.^[7] Of the 12 PT boats at the base, six were at the dock S-13, in Magazine Loch, next to thePearl Harbor Submarine Base. The other six were at dock B-12 being loaded on thereplenishment oilerUSSRamapo to be taken toNaval Base Philippines.^[1] A Naval Yardcrane was being used to load the boats ontoRamapo. Squadron one personnel were completing breakfast on asubmarine bargeYR-20.YR-20 was being used asPT boat tender for squadron one. PT boats were moored on the side of and ahead of the barge in three nests of two each.YR-20 was at Berth S-13, at the Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base. At that time the PT boats used the sametorpedoes as the submarines, so the PT Boat base shared space with the Submarine Base. At the 7 December 1941 attack the six PT boats at the Pearl Harbor PT Boat Base were:PT-20, PT-21, PT-22, PT-23, PT-24, and PT-25. As the attack began PT Boats were the first to use theiranti-aircraft guns to shoot at the attacking planes. Of the six boats on or being loading on toRamapo, PT-26, PT-27, PT-28, PT-29,PT-30 andPT-42, were able to shoot at the attackingVal bomber,Kate andA6M Zero.^[1] Theair compressors on each boat had to be start as compressed air is need to operate the two twin.50 caliber turrets on each PT boat. Squadron One Duty Officer in the attack was Ens. N. E. Ball. In the attack, Joy Van Zyll de Jong was credited with assisting in the shooting down of one enemy torpedo plane. George B. Huffman, TM1c was credited with assisting in the shooting down of one enemy torpedo plane with PT-23.^[4][5] The 12 PT Boats fired over 4,000 rounds at the attack planes. PT-23 shot down the first Mitsubishi A6M Zero in the attack. After the attack some of the boats didanti-submarine patrols in and out of Pearl Harbor. ThePhilippines fell to Japan so the 12 PT Boats were not sent to the Philippines. In May 1942 under their own power they were sent to help defendMidway Atoll, a 1,385 mile trip. On the way PT-23 broke down with a broken crankshaft and returned to Pearl Harbor for repair. PT Boats have a range of about 500 miles, so MTBRon 1 stopped for refueling atNecker Island,French Frigate Shoals, andLisianski Island.^[8][9][1]
For the Battle of Midway (4–7 June 1942), MTBRon 1 performed anti-aircraft support. PT-21 and PT-22 were credited with shooting down an A6M Zero fighter plane. MTBRon 1 was assigned Midway Island perimeter patrol. MTBRon 1 also acted ascrash boats and doing sea rescue, rescuing downed pilots. Lieutenant Clinton McKellar Jr. was in command of MTBRon 1 for the Battle of Midway, with a base onSand Island. PT-29 and PT-30 were assigned toKure Atoll, 55 miles west of Midway. After the battle, on 15 July 1942, MTBRon 1 returned to Pearl Harbor.^[10][11][2]
MTBRon 1 with just PT Boats: PT-22, PT-24, PT-27, and PT-28 were sent toAdak Island to take part the Aleutian campaign starting in July 1942. ThePT boat base was atFinger Bay on Adak Island. At Adak Island wasUS Navy Base, an airfield, replenishment facilities, a hospital,seaplane base in Andrew Lagoon, a port at Sweeper Cove, and recreational center.^{[2][12][7][1]}

• • Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron one commanders during World War II:^[3]
• Lt. Earl S. Caldwell: July 24, 1940 to February 1941, - Testing of PT boats
• Lt. William C. Specht: February 1941 to February 19, 1942, - Attack on Pearl Harbor
• Lt. Clinton Mckellar Jr.: February 19 to 24, 1942
• Lt. John Harllee: February 24 to March 12, 1942
• Lt. Comdr. Clinton Mckellar Jr.: March 12, 1942 to May 1943
• Lt. Herbert J. Sherertz, USNR: May 1943 to October 1943, Battle of Midway (4–7 June 1942)
• Lt. Edward M. Erikson, USNR: October 1943 to February 9, 1945, Aleutian campaign

• PT-20: Transferred 13 August 1941 to MTBRON 1, participated in Dec. 7, Battle of Midway and Aleutian campaign. Struck 22 December 1944.^[13]
• PT-21: Transferred 22 December 1942 toMTBRon 3. Struck 11 October 1943^[14]
• PT-22: Dec. 7, calledFlying Dueces badly damaged in Aleutian campaign by storm offAdak, AK 11 June 1943 and scrapped.^[15]
• PT-23: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, MTBRon 3 transfer on 22 December 1942, reclassified as a Small Craft C-55047^[16]
• PT-24: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, calledBlue Bitch, struck 1947,^[17]
• PT-25: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, transfer to MTBRon 3, later C55048^[18]
• PT-26: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, Aleutian campaign, transfer to MTBRon 327 September 1943.^[19]
• PT-27: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, Aleutian campaign, calledSandra Lee, later Small Craft^[20]
• PT-28: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, Aleutian campaign. Wrecked in a storm 12 January 1943 in Dora Harbor,Unimak Island^[21]
• 'PT-29: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, struck 1944^[22]
• PT-30: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, sold in 1947 but fate is unknown.^[23]
• PT-42: Dec. 7, Battle of Midway, struck 12 December 1944^[24]
• PT-31: Transferred 12 August 1941 in MTBRon 3. Burned by crew to prevent capture 20 January 1942^[25]
• PT-33: Transferred 12 August 1941 to MTBRon 3, destroyed to prevent capture 26 December 1941 off Point Santiago, Philippines^[26]
• PT-35: Transferred 12 August 1941 to MTBRon 3. Scuttled 12 April 1942 atCebu, Philippines to prevent capture.^[27]
• PT-37: Transferred 13 August 1941 to MTBRon 2, destroyed 1 February 1943 by Japanese off Guadalcanal^[28]
• PT-39: Transferred 13 August 1941 to MTBRon 2, destroyed 1945^[29]
• PT-41: Transferred 12 August 1941 to MTBRon 3, scuttled 15 April 1942 atLake Danao, Philippines to prevent capture.^[30]
• PT-42:Transferred 12 August 1941 to MTBRon 3, struck December 12, 1944.^[30]
• PT-43: Transferred 13 August 1941 to MTBRon 2, destroyed to prevent capture 11 January 1943 atGuadalcanal^[31]

Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron one was commissioned July 24, 1940 from new types of prototype PT boats.^[3] The Prototype PT boats came from aPT Boat design competition. Two design proposals were picked to be tested 54-foot and 70-foot PT boats. There werewood andaluminium hull designs. The PT boats were built byMiami Shipbuilding inMiami, Florida,Fisher Boatworks inDetroit, Michigan,Higgins Industries inNew Orleans andPhiladelphia Naval Shipyard inPhiladelphia andHubert Scott-Paine-British Power Boat Company in theHythe, Hampshire,United Kingdom (used byElectric Launch Company).^[32] The Boats were tested in aPlywood Derby by Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 1 and Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2. The Plywood Derby testing atNew London Harbor in July 1941 included Higgins PT-6; Philadelphia Navy Yard PT-8; Elco PT-20, PT-26, PT-30,PT-31; Huckins PT-33, PT-69; and Higgins PT-70, as the shorter 54-foot boats were determined to be too small for use. By April 1941 Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 1 report that the PT-6, the 81-foot Higgins Boat was the best of the prototype PT boats. Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 1 prototype PT boats were replaced with Elco PT boats from 21 June 1941 to 13 August 1941.^[33][34]

Of the PT boats in Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One only two have survived Boats. At the end of the war PT boats were not needed and they used vast amount of fuel, so almost all were scrapped at the end of the war. PT-3 and PT-8 two of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One prototype PT boats have survived. PT-3 and PT-8 were part of thePT Boat design competition and PT-8 was part of thePlywood Derby, with PT-3 at 58-feet long was not put in the Plywood Derby.^[33][34]

• PT-3 built byFisher Boatworks inDetroit, Michigan. PT-3 has a displacement of 25 tons, she has a length of 58-feet and beam of 18-foot. PT-3 was placed in US Navy service 24 July 1940 and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron ONE (MTBRon 1) for evaluations. MTBRon 1, was under the command of Lt. Earl S. Caldwell. MTBRon 1 was the first PT squadron commissioned and originally was made up of experimental boats PT-3 was transferred 19 April 1942 to theRoyal Navy and reclassified HM MTB-273, but the transfer to the Royal Navy was canceled, transferred to theRoyal Canadian Air Force and namedBras D'Or (M-413) for use as a High Speed Rescue Boat, reclassified B-119. Returned to U.S. Navy 10 April 1945. Transferred to the War Shipping Administration 2 May 1946, and sold. In 2012 was at Flanigan Brothers Boatyard, inFairton, New Jersey, for restoration.^[36]

• PT-8 was built byPhiladelphia Navy Yard with an experimental aluminum-hulled. She has a displacement 51.93 tons, length of 80-feet and 7.75 inches, beam of 16-feet and 8 inches, and a draft of 3-feet. She has a top speed 41 knots. Has built she had four Allison V-12 gasoline engines with 1000 hp each, arranged in X-configuration. Later she was upgraded to have standard PT Boat engines: twoPackard 4M-2500 two shafts. PT-8 was put in the US Navy's Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One on 25 February 1941. PT-8 was ordered on 23 June 1939, laid down on 29 December 1939 and launched on 29 October 1940. She was transferred toMotor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two on 13 August 1941 for more testing. Her design was not selected to be a PT boat. So, she was reclassified a DistrictPatrol Craft, and renamedYP-110, on 14 October 1941 and assigned to inshore patrol with theFourth Naval District in 1942 in Philadelphia. PT-8 was struck from the Naval Register on 10 January 1943. She was set for salvage on 1 February 1943. But she was retained at Philadelphia Navy Yard for more tests and use. The Navy later sold her postwar. She was sold on eBay in June 2008 and inFranklin, Louisiana, in 2010.^[41]

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