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| Here's what the original project looked like in 2006. It has been completely reworked. About 20 percent of the original 1943 material remains. Images above from museum web site. |
The National WWII Museum is in the midst of a multi-year project to restore a historic PT boat built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans. The PT-305 served in the Mediterranean Theater and was known by several nicknames, including The Sudden Jerk, The Bar Fly and The Half Hitch.
The huge restoration project is separate from museum exhibits and not on the museum tour. It is housed in a separate building across the street, but a guide at the museum told us that if we went over there, looked through the massive picture windows and attracted somebody's attention, we might talk our way in.
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| The boat is being worked on by volunteers behind the two story glass wall. |
We gave it a try.
We marveled from the sidewalk at the massive reconstruction underway, and read the placards about its combat history, how it eventually became a peace time tour vessel in New York, then was cut down to an oyster boat.
Both Kathleen and Stan were struck by the gargantuan size of the all-wooden boat. They always thought that a PT boat was much smaller, perhaps because of its simplicity of design, looking from a distance like an ordinary speed boat.
But it takes all of a two-story work space (see above) to accommodate it. When the ambitious project is finally finished, the tinted glass wall will be removed from its moorings and the boat will be rolled out to a nearby Mississippi river landing… probably in the middle of the night.
Both Kathleen and Stan were struck by the gargantuan size of the all-wooden boat. They always thought that a PT boat was much smaller, perhaps because of its simplicity of design, looking from a distance like an ordinary speed boat.
But it takes all of a two-story work space (see above) to accommodate it. When the ambitious project is finally finished, the tinted glass wall will be removed from its moorings and the boat will be rolled out to a nearby Mississippi river landing… probably in the middle of the night.
The volunteers inside the plate glass, hard at work with their power tools, ladders and parts, didn't pay much attention to us, pre-occupied with driving screws bolts and such. But then a gentleman in Bermuda shorts and mustache strolled past the window. We soon caught his eye and gestured our wishes, he nodded and pointed to a door, and we were in.
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| Hull of the speedboat on steroids |
The entire project is well-documented on line. Have a look. The video is especially well-done.
Our guide showed us the meticulous care that was being taken to reproduce exactly the way the two layers of mahogany were originally joined and made watertight. Blue prints hung about, tools everywhere. It was the ultimate retired guy's dream site, a whirlwind of volunteer labor, guys having a blast making something exceptionally cool and leaving their legacy: an immaculate tribute to the greatest generation through the preservation of some of the technology that ultimately made victory possible.
Our guide showed us the meticulous care that was being taken to reproduce exactly the way the two layers of mahogany were originally joined and made watertight. Blue prints hung about, tools everywhere. It was the ultimate retired guy's dream site, a whirlwind of volunteer labor, guys having a blast making something exceptionally cool and leaving their legacy: an immaculate tribute to the greatest generation through the preservation of some of the technology that ultimately made victory possible.
Our personal guide said that the goal was to launch the rebuilt craft in time for it to spend the summer of 2015 on nearby Lake Pontchartrain on shakedown cruises. "There's no one around with experience on one of these," he laughed. They'll be training up a crew from scratch. The typical crew member in 1943 was 19 years old, stood less than 5 foot five and weighed 130 pounds. It's very unlikely that standard will be met.
The boat is extremely fast, has three 1,500 horse Packard engines. Tops out at 42 knots, idles at 10.
Eventually the huge boat will be loaded up and shipped to the Mediterranean, there to reenact its service in that theater in time for the 75th anniversary celebration of World War II.
The boat is extremely fast, has three 1,500 horse Packard engines. Tops out at 42 knots, idles at 10.
Eventually the huge boat will be loaded up and shipped to the Mediterranean, there to reenact its service in that theater in time for the 75th anniversary celebration of World War II.
We were quite impressed with our guide's ability to answer virtually any question we asked. He had totally mastered the subject, it seemed. Never deferred an answer to higher authority. We compared the PT Boat to the German E-Boat and he offered insightful viewpoints and facts to back them.
"Who's in charge of all these volunteers? This is a pretty complex operation, who's the guy running it?"
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| Three drive shafts power the speedy PT 305 |
"That would be me," our guide smiled modestly. And sure enough, we got his business card. It said: "Bruce Harris, PT 305 Restoration Coordinator."
Katie took another picture, and this time Stan crowded into it, truly honored to know this kindly fellow who let us in for a closer look at his beautiful baby.
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| The Man with the Plan. Bruce Harris, PT-305 Restoration Coordinator. |
