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NavSource Online:
Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

C105338
ex-PT-557



Call sign:
Nan - William - Item - George
80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 3 July 1943 by Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ
  • Launched 18 September 1943
  • Completed 30 October 1943 and placed in service with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TWENTY NINE (MTBRon 29) under the command of Comdr. S. Stephen Daunis, USN
  • MTBRon 29, assigned to the Mediterranean, based at Calvi, Corsica, and Leghorn, Italy, and had action along the northwest coast of Italy and southern coast of France, operating under the British
    Coastal Forces
  • Transferred 23 November 1944 to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron FOUR (MTBRon 4) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Jack E. Gibson, USN
  • MTBRon 4 was the training squadron, based at the MTB Squadrons Training Center, Melville, R.I. It was the largest squadron, having a peak of 28 boats in service at one time. When the training center
    was decommissioned early in 1946, MTBRon 4 was assigned to the Operational Development Force, and based at Solomons, MD
  • Placed out of service 28 January 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register 25 February 1946
  • The "Termite's Delight" was reclassified as a Small Boat, C105338, 27 August 1946
  • Purchased 9 October 1951 from BFM Industries of Brooklyn, NY by Capt. George C. Sinn of Wildwood Crest, NJ for $1,015.00
  • Acquired in 1952 by Otto F. Stocker, dba Flamingo Cruises, Inc. of Wildwood Crest for use as a passenger vessel and named Flamingo, homeported at Philadelphia, PA but sailing daily from
    Wildwood Crest
  • Acquired in 1954 by Peter Saro, Jr. of Belmar, New Jersey, homeported at New York and sailing from Belmar
  • Acquired in 1955 New Jersey by Miss Belmar, Inc. and renamed Miss Belmar, homeported at New York and sailing from Belmar
  • Acquired in 1975 by Anthony L. Devito of Middletown, New Jersey and renamed Capt. Louie homeported at New York
  • Out of documentation in 1986
  • Fate unknown.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 80'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5'
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: One quad-20mm Elco Thunderbolt mount, one 37mm mount, one 20mm mount, four 21" torpedoes and two twin .50 cal. machine guns
  • Propulsion: Three 1,500shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    PT-557
    PT-557 78k Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    PT-557 145k Crew photo
    PT-557 151k Wood etching Tommy Trampp
    Flamingo
    PT-557 421k 23 July 1953 Gerry McGovern
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-557
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