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So You Want to Ride in a Torpedo-Toting PT Boat from World War II?

August 6, 2012 at 11:57 AM | by | Comments (0)

531 PT Boats plied the waves for the Allied powers during World War II. These torpedo-toting motorboats of 70-80 feet were designed to zip up to large ships, attack, and zip away. The American military called them the "Mosquito Fleet," Japanese forces gave them the nickname "Devil Boats," but these days we just know them as museum pieces, since only 13 still exist, 3 or 4 of which are still operational.

What happened to the rest of 'em? Well, PT boats were made of wood, wood which was then burned or re-used at the end of the war. Countries celebrating their victory while simultaneously worrying about piecing together a broken Europe and getting their boys back into the workforce weren't thinking about putting PTs up on plinths. Heck, it would be nearly another twenty years before John F. Kennedy, former commander of PT-109, would become president and spark the public fascination with these boats.

Now, of those 3-4 left seaworthy, two are now to be found in Ohio of all places, the newest pieces of the collection of the also very new Liberty Aviation Museum.

We may have already walked you through the museum plus its restoration project of an old Ford Tri-Motor airplane, but the last few weeks have brought even more to offer, including a B-52 Bomber ("Georgie's Gal") and a traveling exhibit on the Tuskegee Airmen complete with P-51C Mustang. Oh, and those two treasured boats.

PT-728 and PT-724 ("Thom Cat") are fresh residents of Ohio, but the latter was reconfigured to be a cabin cruiser and will spend the time being in drydock as a project for total restoration by the Museum. The former, purchased for $1 million from its owner in New York, has "decomissioned weapons including machine guns, an Oerlikon 20mm cannon, depth charges and torpedoes" and very soon it'll be all ready to take you out on the waves of Lake Erie.

Right now however, the PT-728 is going through its Coast Guard certification. If you're anxious to check it out, this weekend (and coming weekends), she'll be docked near the main downtown Port Clinton, OH berth of the Jet Express ferry. We've just spoken with the museum to confirm that it's free to board and tour the PT-728, but donations are accepted. If you'll be in the Northwest Ohio area and want the latest status of the boat, give the Liberty Aviation Museum a ring at (419) 732-0234.


It's got a little movie history, too

[Photos: Liberty Aviation Museum on Facebook]

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