PT 796, a Higgins boat nicknamed "Tail Ender" did not see service in World War II, but was assigned to a Navy ordnance testing station in Panama City, Florida, where she was actively used to develop specialized equipment for Vietnam river patrols.

In 1961, she joined her present berthmate USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. in Washington, DC, where each participated in President Kennedy's inaugural celebration. Although she is a Higgins boat, PT 796 was painted with the hull number "109" and towed as a float through the President's inaugural parade.

Decommissioned July 7, 1970, the boat was signed over to J.M. "Boats" Newberry, founder of PT Boats, Inc., the organization that restored and brought her to Battleship Cove in the 1970s. On August 14, 1975, VJ Day, 796 was dedicated at Battleship Cove, where she continues to be exhibited inside an authentic WWII-era Quonset hut.

PT 796 is a National Historic Landmark.

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.

"GENERAL" KNOWLEDGE: Think you know your World War II trivia? Take this quiz to find out if your knowledge base is ship shape!

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