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Is this an MTB engine?


Ivor Ramsden

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looks like a 4M2500 W8 as fitted to Elco and Higgins pt boats although only half seems to be visible -I don't think they made a half engine version:-D.

 

The other half was buried. If it had been a Morris engine I'd have unearthed it with my bare hands!

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It would take more than bare hands to lift that lump out:-) wonder how it got there.

 

 

Quite a lot of PT boats were used in the Med, I assume it probably came from one of those.

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I was thinking that most british P/T boats would be types like Thornycofts (hopefully with British motors) I wouldn't have thought many US types such as Elcos and Higgins would be around- did the British/French receive any by Lend Lease I suppose it is possible PTGB could have been around as landing craft control vessels.

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I was thinking that most british P/T boats would be types like Thornycofts (hopefully with British motors) I wouldn't have thought many US types such as Elcos and Higgins would be around- did the British/French receive any by Lend Lease I suppose it is possible PTGB could have been around as landing craft control vessels.

 

The British did receive both Elco and Higgins boats under lend lease but the Americans also operated PT boats in the Med under command of British Coastal Forces. Vosper designed boats were also built in America for the British and these would also have been fitted with Packard engines. The majority of the Elco's would have utilised the Merlin derived Packard as would the Vospers but some early experimental Elco's and Higgins were supplied and they may have been fitted with a different Packard engine but this is only supposition as the book I have consulted is not definitive on the early boats.

We really need CW and his expertise on this subject. I think perhaps Richard's idea on the RAF launches might be the answer to the origin of this engine.

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  • 9 years later...
On 7/9/2010 at 9:02 AM, Ivor Ramsden said:

My mate's dad served on MTB 408 in Malta. It was an American-built 72 foot Vosper vessel, built as PT-396 and fitted with Packards.

 

MTB408 is 3rd left in this photo taken in 1945 in Malta. It ended its days with the Italian Navy.

MTBs at HMS Gregale.jpg

 

Interesting picture, my grandfathers boat was MTB 410 - cant see his boat number in the picture, but I assume its the same flotilla.

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  • 2 months later...

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