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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: Just saw something interesting in a photo of PT191
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=588

I've looked at it dozens of times before but tonight I saw that neither 50 cal turret has a depression rail. I see the mount's rails but no depression rail. The rear is harder to see but I think it is missing too.

Chun, page 55.

Anybody have anything to add?
Thanks,
Ed

Posted By: ducati650 | Posted on: Jan 21, 2008 - 4:19pm
Total Posts: 450 | Joined: Feb 19, 2007 - 10:01am

Ed:

You are probably correct. Russ Pullano sent me several pictures of his PT 195 and I have 2 great shots of the 50 caliber mounts showing no gun depresser rails at all. It certainly looks different that's for sure. I would have thought that would be very dangerous for the crew when firing these guns, although you can only depress a 50 caliber so much........

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jan 21, 2008 - 5:58pm
Total Posts: 3547 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank,
The poster is ready to mail. It will go out tomorrow by Priority Mail. Let me know what you think of it.
Ed

Posted By: ducati650 | Posted on: Jan 21, 2008 - 7:10pm
Total Posts: 450 | Joined: Feb 19, 2007 - 10:01am

After soldering those lovely depression rails I think that's a great subject for your 1/72 boat. It's amazing how many different things you see looking at these books over and over again.

For instance look at Johnson's book on page 147. The top photo shows a shade over the cockpit. This seems to have the same wind screen system as on the 523, 524, 525 boats. In Chun's book on page 59 you can see what looks like an airfoil or panel across some supports in front of the cockpit on PT 523. Does this thing extend up as a cover? I've never seen any detail of this before. It seems to be common only to a few boats. I've seen that airfoil thing on earlier boats but I don't believe it extends to a cover and is pretty much just an airfoil. Any ideas?

Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Jan 21, 2008 - 7:54pm
Total Posts: 1680 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

Wapes,
I've seen the airfoil on several boats in the range you list. There are actually a couple of styles. One was a wing like thing on pivot that at one extreme rested on supports on the charthouse roof and at the other it was a wing over the cockpit. This build by Stephen Allen shows it on the supports.

[url]http://smmlonline.com/members/mainbrace/stephen_allen/elco32.jpg[/url]

Chun, page 33 bottom and 34 top also show in at rest. 54 bottom also shows it. You can also see it in Ross 134 bottom , note the locking levers, and 147 top in the fully up postion. Also in Johnson 117 top. Squadron 28 and 44 show the wing raised to full height.

I think Chun 59 shows another style that is a fixed deflector with vanes that make channels to direct or divert air or waves vertically. Johnson 107 might show this. I've seen a much better photos and will look for it. I've seen the same kind of deflector on the front of WWII sub conning towers.

Here is a phot of 171 showing this style of deflector.
[url]http://www.pt171.org/PT171/FrankKassay/target26.html[/url]

I think Johnson 107, PT 169 is this style with the channels blocked with some sort of canvas cover.

Ed

Posted By: ducati650 | Posted on: Jan 22, 2008 - 4:04am
Total Posts: 450 | Joined: Feb 19, 2007 - 10:01am

That second link from the 171.org link is the money shot. It's clearly just a deflector and nothing more. Funny how these features come and go on different boats. That should be a nice detail to model into the boat.
Thanks!
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Jan 22, 2008 - 5:10am
Total Posts: 1680 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

It looks like the Med boats had the wing and some Pacific boats had the deflector. Photos I have of the Ron 33 boats 490, 491, 493 have neither.

Posted By: ducati650 | Posted on: Jan 22, 2008 - 6:24am
Total Posts: 450 | Joined: Feb 19, 2007 - 10:01am

That thing was a wind deflector - a "spoiler" that could be raised to deflect the wind over the open cockpit.

For years, I wondered what those things on the tops of the chart houses of the two 80' Elcos in the movie "They Were Expendable" were. Well, they were those spoiler thingies in cradles, with their support arms on either side.

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Jan 23, 2008 - 7:25pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am