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NavSource Online:
Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive

C105339
ex-PT-559

Call sign:
Nan - William - Item - King

80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat:

Laid down 10 July 1943 by Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ

Launched 24 September 1943

Completed 4 November 1943 and placed in service with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TWENTY NINE (MTBRon 29) under the command of Comdr. S. Stephen Daunis, USN

MTBRon 29, assigned to the Mediterranean, based at Calvi, Corsica, and Leghorn, Italy, and had action along the northwest coast of Italy and southern coast of France, operating under the British

Coastal Forces

On the night of 14/15 June 1944, PT-558, PT-552 and PT-559 torpedoed and sank the German torpedo boats TA-26, ex-Italian Intrepido and TA-30, ex-Italian Dragone between La Spezia and

Genoa, Italy

Transferred 23 November 1944 to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron FOUR (MTBRon 4) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Jack E. Gibson

MTBRon 4 was the training squadron, based at the MTB Squadrons Training Center, Melville, R.I. It was the largest squadron, having a peak of 28 boats in service at one time. When the training center

was decommissioned early in 1946, MTBRon 4 was assigned to the Operational Development Force, and based at Solomons, MD. It was the last squadron to be decommissioned, and its boats

The "Black Ruff" was placed out of service 28 January 1946

Struck from the Naval Register 25 February 1946

Reclassified as a Small Boat, C105339, 27 August 1946

Fate unknown.

Specifications:

Displacement 56 t.

Length 80'

Beam 20' 8"

Draft 5'

Speed 41 kts.

Complement 17

Armament: One quad-20mm Elco Thunderbolt mount, one 37mm mount, one 20mm mount, four 21" torpedoes and two twin .50 cal. machine guns