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Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

PT-221



Call sign:
Nan - Charlie - Sugar - George
78' Higgins Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 29 September 1942 by Higgins Industries, New Orleans, LA
  • Launched 16 January 1943
  • Completed 11 March 1943
  • Placed in service 12 March 1943 and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron SIXTEEN (MTBRon 16) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Russell H. Smith.
  • MTBRon 16 participated in the Aleutian campaign from August 1943 to May 1944. Transferred to the Southwest Pacific, the squadron had action at Mios Woendi, Dutch New Guinea; Mindoro, P.I.; and
    Brunei Bay, Borneo. It also based for a time at Dreger Harbor, New Guinea, and San Pedro Bay, P.I., but had no action from these bases. As part of Task Unit 70.1.4, Squadron 16 was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for action at Mindoro from December 15 - 19, 1944
  • The "Omen of the Seas" was placed out of service, stripped and destroyed by U.S. Forces 26 November 1945 at Samar, Philippines.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 78'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5' 3"
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: As built - Four 21" torpedoes, two depth charge racks aft, one 20mm mount and two twin .50 cal. machine guns
    1944 - Removed two aft torpedo racks and added a 40mm mount aft and one 20mm mount forward (later replaced by a 40mm 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-221 554k Partial blueprint dated 14 March 1943
    From the collection of Francis Guy Phillips    		 Penny Phillips DePasquale
    PT-221 165k Off loading in the Aleutians or Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    PT-221 105k The cockpit
    PT-221 77k In the Philippines
    PT-221 648k c. November 1944
    Leyte, Philippines
    Photo from U.S. Small Combatants: An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman    		 Robert Hurst
    PT-221 225k c. November 1945
    Being stripped at Samar along with PT-222 and others    		 Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    PT-221 472k
    Boat Captains
    01ENS J. P. Rafferty, USNDecember 1944
    02LTJG E. H. Lockwood, USNDecember 1944
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-221
    Back to the Main Photo Index Back to the Patrol Craft/Gunboat/Submarine Chaser Index Back to the Motor Torpedo Boat (PT) Photo Index
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    This page created by Joseph M. Radigan and maintained by Tom Bateman
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