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NavSource Online:
Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

PT-150



Call sign:
Nan - Yoke - Dog - Zebra
80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 1 August 1942 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ
  • Launched 15 October 1942
  • Placed in service 2 November 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
  • On 5 March 1943, 25 miles NE from Cape Ward Hunt, Papua, New Guinea PT-150 under the command of LT R. Hamachek launched a torpedo at the Japanese submarine I-17 that was picking up
    survivors of the Bismarck Sea battle. The torpedo missed when the I-17 crash dived. She then straffed the conning tower of the diving submarine
  • Transferred 10 May 1943 to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TWELVE (MTBRon 12) under the command of Lt. Comdr. John Harllee, USN
  • MTBRon 12, assigned to the Southwest Pacific, had action in New Guinea waters at Morobe, Dreger Harbor, Hollandia, and Mios Woendi, and in the Philippines at San Pedro Bay and Ormoc. It also
    based for a time at Kana Kopa, New Guinea, but had no action from this base. MTBRon 12 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for action in the New Guinea area from October 1943 to
    March 1944
  • "Lady Lucifer", ex-"Princessr", ex-"Joker" was placed out of service 26 October 1945, stripped and destroyed by burning at Samar, Philippines.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 80'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5'
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: One 40mm mount, two torpedoes, two twin .50 cal. machine guns, one 37mm mount and one 20mm mount
  • Propulsion: Three 1,500shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    PT-150 100k Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    PT-150 133k
    PT-150 332k From the collection of Alvin Hanson
    PT-150 755k Replacement photo: c. December 1944
    Leyte, Philippines
    PT 150, in the foreground, clearly shows its mast brace as well as a pipe stem mount for an extra free-swinging machine gun on the cockpit bulkhead, just inboard of the torpedo
    Photo from U.S. Small Combatants: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman    		 Original photo: Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    Replacement photo: Robert Hurst

    Crew Photos

    Photos from the collection of Bob Machnik. Contributed by Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    Photo #12 from collection of Willaim J. West, Jr., contributed by Mary Ustach

    1. Crew photo
    From the collection of Alvin Hanson

    2. Wendell Inskeep, the boats cook

    3. Camotes Sea, Philippines
    Target practice with the 40mm

    4. Andy Gesik of Whiting, IN on the .50 cal. machine guns

    5. Bob Wiese, LTJG Smiles, Bob Machnik and LT West

    6. LT William J. West, Jr.

    7. Wilfred Woodlell

    8. Walter J. Flynn of Providence, RI

    9. SM3c William Garfield

    10. Target practice

    11. Wendell Inskeep at the helm making a high speed turn

    12. Crew photo, 1944
    Boat Captains
    01LTJG Russell E. Hamachek, USNR - Awarded the Silver Star (1943)March 1943
    02LTJG Robert S. Milford, USNR - Awarded the Bronze StarMarch 1944
    03LT William J. West, Jr., USNROctober 1944
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-150
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    This page created by Joseph M. Radigan and maintained by David L. Wright
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