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Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

PT-143



Call sign:
Nan - Yoke - Charlie - Peter
80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 13 July 1942 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ
  • Launched 25 September 1942
  • Completed 13 October 1942 and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron EIGHT (MTBRon 8) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Barry K. Atkins, USN
  • MTBRon 8, assigned to the Southwest Pacific, had action in New Guinea waters at Tufi, Morobe, Kiriwina, and Aitape; at Rein Bay and Talasea on New Britain, and in Philippine waters at Mindoro,
    Zamboanga, and Tawi Tawi. The squadron based for a time at Kana Kopa, Dreger Harbor, and Mios Woendi, New Guinea , and at San Pedro Bay in the Philippines, but had no action at these bases
  • The "Ring Dang Doo" was placed out of service, stripped and destroyed by U.S. Forces 28 October 1945 at Samar, Philippines.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 80'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5'
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: One 40mm 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-143 PT-143 with experimental searchlight on her fantail
    Sent by G. W. Kahler    		 Russ Padden
    Photo added 27 March 2019
    PT-143 397k c. May 1943
    Morobe River, Morobe, New Guinea
    0615 - Returning to base after knocking off three Japanese barges off Cape Gloucester, New Britain. PT-143 was under the command of LTJG John H.
    Baylis, USNR    		 William Fish
    PT-143 188k Bill Skade at the helm
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143    		 Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    PT-143 346k
    PT-143 175k
    PT-143 179k In dry dock
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, CO of PT-143
    PT-143 292k Crew photo
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, CO of PT-143
    PT-143 293k Bill Godfrey (with sword), Hutch, Fritz, Weidman, Andy, Dominic and Barriero
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 269k c. early 1945
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 256k Small arms practice
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 128k Crew photo
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-114 171k Borneo
    PT-142, PT-143 and PT-114 nested alongside a tender
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 282k Cleaning one of the .50 cal. machine gun
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 249k Bill Skade
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 316k The banana boat
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 183k Laundry day
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 210k Towing Australian troop boats to Borneo with two Australian and an Indonesian officer on the fantail
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143
    PT-143 207k LTJG Albert A. Young, Jr. at the helm
    From the collection of LT Albert A. Young, Jr. USNR, commanding PT-143    		 Janet Young
    PT-143 344k Original photo: From the collection of LT Albert A. Young, Jr. USNR, commanding PT-143
    Replacement photo: Photo from the estate of William T. Ahrens, Torpedoman; via his daughter, Patrice Guarachi    		 Original photo: Janet Young
    Replacement photo: Parker Jones
    PT-143 638k William T. Ahrens, Torpedoman, on extreme left, artist of "The Girlfriend"
    Photo from the estate of William T. Ahrens, Torpedoman; via his daughter, Patrice Guarachi    		 Parker Jones
    PT-143 429k c. June 1945
    Borneo
    Moored alongside LCI(L)-712
    From the collection of LTJG William Skade, USNR, commanding PT-143 in MTBRon 8. (Mr. Skade turned 90 years old on 25 September 2011)    		 Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    Boat Captains
    01LTJG John S. Baylis, Jr.,USNR - Awarded the Silver Star (1944)13 October 1942
    02LTJG William Skade, USNR1945
    ??LTJG Albert A. Young, Jr., USNR - Awarded the Bronze Star
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-143
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    This page created by Joseph M. Radigan and maintained by Tom Bateman
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