 PT-20 Underway at high speed, circa 1941. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | PT-20 |
| Builder | Electric Boat Company |
| Laid down | 14 October 1940 |
| Launched | 14 Mar 1941 |
| Sponsored by | United States Navy |
| Completed | 9 June 1941 |
| Commissioned | 20 June 1941 |
| Stricken | 22 December 1944 |
| Notes |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Patrol torpedo boat |
| Tonnage | 40gross register tons |
| Length | 77 ft (23 m) (o/a) |
| Beam | 19 feet 11 inches (6.07 m) |
| Height | 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m) |
| Propulsion | Three 1,500 hp Packard V12 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts. |
| Armament | Two twin .50 caliber Browning M2 machine guns; Two .303 caliber Lewis machine guns; 2 21" torpedo tubes; Four torpedoes |
| Service record | |
| Operations: | |
PT-20 was the firstPT-20-classmotor torpedo boat of theUnited States Navy that served duringWorld War II. Her first post was atPearl Harbor PT Boat Base.
PT-20 was commissioned by theUnited States Navy and laid down on 14 October 1940 at the Elco Works of theElectric Launch Company (nowElectric Boat Company) at theirBayonne, New Jersey shipyard; launched on 14 Mar 1941; and completed on 9 June 1941.[1] On 20 June 1941, she was commissioned and attached toMotor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two (MTBRON 2) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Earl S. Caldwell and assigned to patrol thePanama Canal Zone.[1] On 13 August 1941, she was transferred to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One (MTBRON 1) under the command of Lt. William C. Specht and assigned toPearl Harbor.[1][2] During theattack on Pearl Harbor,PT-20 was moored at berth S-13 awaiting loading on thereplenishment oilerUSS Ramapo (AO-12) for MTBRON 1's assignment to the Philippines.[3] All 12 boats of the squadron fired on the attacking Japanese aircraft with one,PT-23, credited with shooting down twoNakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers.[3]
In May 1942, the squadron was reassigned to Lt. Clinton McKellar Jr. and tasked with the defense ofMidway Island[3][4] being led byMarine Corps ColonelHarold D. Shannon. The squadron made the 1,385 mile trip under their own power, then the longest made by PT boats to date[3] refueling atNecker Island,French Frigate Shoals, andLisianski Island.[5] 11 of the 12 PT boats of MTBRON 1 made it to Midway (PT-23 had broken a crankshaft en route and was forced to return to Pearl Harbor).[3][5]PT-20 along withPT-21,PT-22,PT-24,PT-25,PT-26,PT-27,PT-28,PT-42 were assigned to Midway Island whilePT-29 andPT-30 were assigned to nearbyKure Atoll (55 miles west). During theBattle of Midway, they were tasked with providing anti-aircraft support (PT-21 andPT-22 were credited with downing aMitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighter), patrolling the perimeter of the island, and the rescuing of downed pilots. After the battle, the squadron was sent to attack the remainder of the Japanese task force but was unable to locate the target.[6] On 15 July 1942, the squadron returned to Pearl Harbor and then was divided:PT-21,PT-23,PT-25, andPT-26 (along withmotor torpedo boat tenderHilo) were deployed toPalmyra Atoll;PT-22,PT-24,PT-27, andPT-28 were deployed toAdak Island in theAleutians; whilePT-20,PT-29,PT-30, andPT-42 remained at Pearl Harbor.[4] On 22 December 1944, PT-20 was struck from theNavy list due to obsolescence.[1][3] Her fate is unknown.[1]
...when Squadron 1 was directed on August 13 to prepare for assignment to the Pacific Fleet, it was assigned the most nearly complete of the remaining boats, PT's 20 to 30 and PT 42
Meanwhile, at 1920 CNAS Midway decided to employ his motor torpedo boats as an attack squadron and sent a squadron of nine MTB's from Midway and two MTB's from Kure Island to attack the task force containing the burning carriers. They were unable to locate the target. With the coming of daylight they commenced their return to Midway.
| Surviving boats | |
|---|---|
| Notable boats | |
| Builders | |
| Boats of history | |
| Classes | |
| PT-MTB Squadron | |
| PT training - PT bases |
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| Notable missions | |
| Similar | |
| Media | |
| Museum - Restoration | |
| Related | |
Preceded byUS patrol boats - Followed byPTF boat | |
