Pound for pound, PT boats were the most formidably armed surface combatants of World War II. Although they were originally designed as stealthy platforms for the delivery of torpedoes, PT boats performed spectacularly as gunboats, showering the enemy under a hailstorm of fire from .50 caliber machine guns, 20mm, 37mm and 40mm cannons, and rockets.

PT 617 ARMAMENT
Four roll-off racks for Mark XIII torpedoes (diameter: 22.5"; length: 6'); one 40 mm gun; one 37mm gun; one 20 mm gun; two twin .50 cal. machine guns; 2 - 4 depth charges; smoke generator; 2 Mark 50 5-inch rocket launchers

PT 796 ARMAMENT
Two torpedoes on roll-off racks (diameter: 21"; length: 6'); two twin .50 cal. machine guns; one 40 mm gun; one 37 mm gun; one 20 mm gun; smoke generator; two Mark 50 5-inch rocket launchers.

The Japanese destroyer Amagiri cleaves PT 109 in two during the Battle of Blackett Strait.

BALLARD DISCOVERS BATTLESHIP COVE: Eminent marine scientist Dr. Robert Ballard recently partnered with Battleship Cove to perform research for his quest to locate the legendary PT 109. Known worldwide for his discoveries of the RMS Titanic, the German battleship Bismarck, and the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, the renowned ocean explorer examined PTs 617 and 796 and then delved into the world's largest repository of PT Boat artifacts and memorabilia on board Battleship Massachusetts. Filmmakers from National Geographic shadowed Dr. Ballard as he inspected the archives and consulted with the museum's PT Boat specialist, Don Shannon, one of the world's leading authorities on PT Boats.

Click here to read more about the PT 109 exhibits at Battleship Cove and the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration.