PT-103
Contents
Description
The Elco 80 ft PT-103 is a rank II American motor torpedo boat with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X" as part of the fleet closed beta test.
General info
Survivability and armour
The Elco 80 ft PT-103 has relatively average survivability for a boat of its size. The boat lacks armour (apart from some hardened armour on the bridge and on the Oerlikon cannon) and is constructed entirely out of wood, resulting in poor survivability. The ship boat a crew count of 12 crew members, which is pretty average for the most part. The vital components are clustered towards the centre of the vessel, which is pretty normal for most boats of its size.
Mobility
The PT-103 has decent mobility for a small MTB. The boat can make a top speed of 106 km/h in AB spaded, or 76 km/h in RB spaded; this makes it a very fast vessel, slower than some Soviet boats like the G-5 or Pr. 123, but faster than most boats at its BR. The rudder shift and turning agility aren't the best, given that the PT-103 is a relatively large PT boat. As a result, it is always safer to plan your manoeuvres well before you execute them with this ship, since the vessel's turning circle and agility are subpar even with the rudder replacement upgrade.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 106 | 30 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 76 | 22 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Armament
Primary armament
The primary armament consists of two twin .50 cal M2 Browning machine gun turrets, for a total of 4 .50 cal machine guns. The turrets are set towards the centre of the hull, one to the right of the bridge and one to the left, rear, of the pilot house. One drawback of the turret placement is that only one turret (2 machine guns) can be pointed in most directions. Only one turret can fire forwards, only one turret can fire to the left, both turrets can fire to the right, and neither turret can fire towards the rear. On the other hand, the turrets have excellent elevation angles (up to +60 degrees), allowing these turrets to effectively engage aerial targets. The .50 cals can shred torpedo boats in seconds, especially when broadside, but against more heavily armoured targets they may struggle. Against aerial targets, multiple hits will normally be required to down one, but with the good fire rate of 576 rpm multiple hits can be regularly attained.
Secondary armament
PT-103's secondary armament consists of one 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannon. The Oerlikon cannon is mounted on the rear deck of the ship, and it has very good traverse (±180 degrees) and elevation angles (-5 to +60 degrees). The fire rate of 450 rpm is decent, and the reloading rate is very quick at only 4 seconds. The 20 mm can be used against air and sea targets, and deals heavy damage; it can cripple an enemy aircraft with as few as only one hit, and can also disable an enemy torpedo boat in seconds. The only downside to the Oerlikon is its placement: it can not fire to the front of the ship. This means that you will not be able to get the Oerlikon on target when facing towards the enemy. It is not recommended to face the rear of the ship towards the enemy, but in the case that an enemy gets behind you, the 20 mm can deal heavy damage very quickly. It can also fire to the sides.
Additional armament
Two Mk.8 torpedoes can be equipped, even when stock; they are located one on each side of the bridge. They are not independently aimed, and as such to aim them you will have to turn the entire hull of the ship. They can be fired at any speed, with any direction of travel. These torpedoes can be incredibly useful, as they can usually destroy smaller boats outright, and will severely damage even most of the largest ships you will face. The torpedoes have an arming distance of 50 meters and a travel distance of up to 9.14 kilometers.
After research, 8 Mk.6 depth charges can be equipped. They are located on either side of the hull rear, with four on each side. These will generally not be effective in combat, although in certain rare situations they can be. As such, you may consider not bringing depth charges, as most of the time they will not be useful, and they also function as additional ammo racks, increasing the likelihood of your untimely demise.
Usage in battles
The PT-103 is a versatile light motor torpedo boat well-suited to flanking and ambushing, with a good combination of gun and torpedo armament.
The PT-103's gun armament consists of a 20 mm Oerlikon autocannon plus two dual AN-M2 12.7 mm machine guns, which is quite adequate at its BR. However, the weapons are split into two weapons groups, with the Oerlikon set as a secondary weapon. Additionally, the PT-103 suffers from poor firing arcs: the 12.7 mm machine guns cannot fire towards the rear, while the Oerlikon cannot fire forwards. The best way to make use of this vehicle's armament is to flank right of the target, as you can fire all three turrets in this direction. Additionally, the PT-103 has two torpedoes which can be used to destroy any larger vessels, such as sub-chasers and barges.
In terms of survivability, the PT-103 has a mediocre crew count of 12 crew members, meaning that the vehicle should be played with caution. Thus, you should try to employ ambush tactics in order to preserve the PT-103's survivability. Hide behind smaller islands and destroy any coastal ships, large or small, as they pass into your line of fire. While the PT-103 is a fast boat, it isn't too agile, and also has a large profile, so you'd want to avoid rushing forward and/or capturing bases. Instead, flank and utilize your powerful armament to decimate any enemy torpedo boats.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Very strong armament at its BR: four 12.7 mm and one 20 mm cannon provide substantial anti-ship firepower
- Ship can outgun virtually any other motor torpedo boat at its BR, though motor gun boats may have more armament
- Gets access to 533 mm torpedoes which can destroy any targets that the guns cannot
- High top speed of 106 km/h in AB or 76 km/h in RB
Cons:
- Poor survivability, as the entire hull is unprotected and made from wood
- Mediocre crew count of twelve crew members
- While top speed is great, turning mobility is quite subpar compared to other small MTBs
- Guns have suboptimal firing arcs, as the 20 mm Oerlikon cannot fire forwards
History
PT-103 was laid down on January 24, 1942 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, in Bayonne, New Jersey. It was launched on May 16, 1942, and was completed on June 12, 1942. It entered service as the USS PT-103.
It was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 5 (MTBRon 5), commanded by CDR Henry Farrow, USN. MTBRon 5 was assigned to the Panama Sea Frontier from 1942 to 1943. Afterwards, it was sent to the Solomon Islands where it saw action at a number of locations, including Rendova, Vella Lavella, Treasury, Bougainville, Green, and Emirau. At the end of 1944 the squadron was disbanded, and the ships were distributed between other squadrons to replace lost ships.
The USS PT-103 was transferred to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 18 (MTBRon 18) under the command of LT Edward MacCauley, III, USNR, on February 15, 1945. MTBRon 18 was assigned to the Southwest Pacific. It saw action at Dreger Harbor, Aitape, Hollandia, Wakde, and Mios Woendi, in New Guinea; at Manus in the Admiralties; and at Morotai in the Halmaheras. The squadron was also temporarily based at Kana Kopa, New Guinea, and later at San Pedro Bay, Philippines. PT-103 was scuttled by American forces on November 4, 1945, at Samar, Philippines.
The ship had a displacement of 56 t, a length of 80 ft, a beam of 20 ft 8 in, and a draft of 5 ft. It was powered by three 3,600 shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, and had three shafts. The armament consisted of one single 40 mm mount, four 21" torpedoes, one 37 mm mount (added by the crew on August 1, 1943), one 20 mm mount, and two twin .50 cal. machine guns. The crew complement was 17 sailors and officers, and the maximum speed of 41 knots.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Bibliography
- Radigan, Joseph M. PT-103. NavSource Naval History. http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/05103.htm
| Electric Launch Company (Elco) Ships | |
|---|---|
| Patrol Torpedo Boats (PT) | |
| 77' PT | PT-20 · PT-59 |
| 80' PT | PT-103 · PT-109 · PT-174 · PT-314 · Thunderbolt (PT-556) · PT-565 |
| USA boats | |
|---|---|
| Motor torpedo boats | PT-3 · PT-6 · PT-20 · PT-71 · PT-103 · PT-109 · PT-174 |
| PT-200 · PT-314 · Thunderbolt (PT-556) · PT-565 · PT-658 · PT-810 · PT-811 · PT-812 | |
| Motor gun boats | Kim Qui · LCS(L)(3) · PT-59 · PTF-7 · USS Candid · USS Asheville · USS Douglas · USS Flagstaff · USS Tucumcari · USS Cyclone |
| Armoured gun boats | LCM(6) Zippo |
