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NavSource Online:
Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

PT-79



Call sign:
Nan - Uncle - Tare - Mike

Sunk 1 February 1945
78' Higgins Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 23 April 1942 by Higgins Industries, New Orleans, LA
  • Launched 22 August 1942
  • Completed 8 September 1942
  • Placed in service 9 September 1942 and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron THIRTEEN under the command of CDR James B. Denny, USN
  • Mistakenly sunk 1 February 1945 by the USS Conyngham (DD 371) and the USS Lough (DE 586) near Talin Point, Luzon, Philippines.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 78'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5' 3"
  • Speed 40 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: Four 21" torpedoes, one 40mm mount and two twin .50 cal. machine guns
  • Propulsion: Three 4,500shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    PT-79 155k 23 August 1942
    Starboard quarter view
    Higgins Industries photo
    PT-75 209k 21 June 1943
    PT-75, PT-82 and PT-79 nested alongside USS Gillis (AVD 12) in Casco Cove, Massacre Bay, Attu, Aleutian Islands, AK
    National Archives photo 80-G-53505    		 Rick Davis and John Chiquoine
    Photo added 18 December 2020
    Boat Captains
    01LTJG Michael A. Haughian, USNRJanuary 1945 - 1 February 1945
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-79
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    This page created by Joseph M. Radigan and maintained by Tom Bateman
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