Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online:
Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

PT-306



Call sign:
Nan - King - Easy - King
78' Higgins Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 1 April 1943 by Higgins Industries, New Orleans, LA
  • Launched 27 May 1943
  • Completed 3 December 1943, placed in service and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TWENTY TWO (MTBRon 22), under the command of Lt. Comdr. Richard J. Dressling
  • MTBRon 22 was assigned to the Mediterranean, based at Bastia, Corsica, and St. Tropez, France, and had action along the northwest coast of Italy and southern coast of France, operating under the British
    Coastal Forces. After the end of the Mediterranean campaign in April 1945, the squadron was shipped back to the United States for reconditioning and reassignment to the Pacific, but the war ended while the squadron was still in New York
  • Placed out of service 15 November 1945
  • Struck from the Naval Register 28 November 1945
  • "The Fascinatin' Bitch" was transferred to the War Shipping Administration 1 April 1948
  • Sold in 1951 to Moran & Strasser of Chicago, IL and named Fascinatin' Bitch
  • Sold in 1954 to Major E. Threlkeld of Eau Gallie, FL
  • Sold in 1957 to Frederick Luddington of Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Sold in 1961 to Fair Fisheries, Inc. of Miami, FL
  • Operated in 1963 under the French flag
  • Fate unknown.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 56 t.
  • Length 78'
  • Beam 20' 8"
  • Draft 5' 3"
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 17
  • Armament: One 40mm mount, four Mk 13 torpedoes, two twin and two single .50 cal. machine guns, one 60mm mortar and two 20mm mounts
  • Propulsion: Three 1,500shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image    		 Size Image Description Source
    PT-306 148k Camouflage pattern painted by Dick Gilpin Jerry Gilmartin, MMC(SW), USN, Ret.
    PT-306 216k From the collection of Ed Groweg, Jr. John Groweg
    PT-306 90k c. 1944
    Gargano, Italy    		 PT Boats Public Group
    Boat Captains
    01LT Thomas B. Creede, USNJune 1944
    02LTJG Edward Groweg, USNDecember 1944
    Courtesy Joe Radigan
    There is no DANFS history available for PT-306
    Back to the Main Photo Index Back to the Patrol Craft/Gunboat/Submarine Chaser Index Back to the Motor Torpedo Boat (PT) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster
    This page created by Joseph M. Radigan and maintained by Tom Bateman
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History