Motor Torpedo Boat

2 Comments Posted on Mediterranean Theater, Military, Military History, Motor Torpedo Boat, MTO, Naval, PT Boat, Royal Navy, US Navy, USN, Weapons, WWII

HMS MTB-263 (Motor Torpedo Boat)

HMS MTB-263 (British Motor Torpedo Boat, 1940, ex-USS PT-14) Ready for delivery to The Royal Navy, circa Mid-1941. She has been modified to British specifications, with R.N. Type 21″ Torpedo Tubes, a 20mm machine cannon and other changes. (NHHC: NH 100911)

70′ Motor Torpedo Boat:

  • Laid down 26 April 1940 as PT-14 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ
  • Launched 7 November 1940
  • Placed in service 29 November 1940 and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TWO (MTBRon 2) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Earl S. Caldwell, USN
  • MTBRon 2 tested the first 70′ Elco boats in Florida and Caribbean waters in the winter of 1940/41
  • Transferred to the Royal Navy as HM MTB-263 11 April 1941 and assigned to the 10th MTB Squadron
  • Returned to U.S. Navy 16 March 1946 at Alexandria, Egypt
  • Transferred to the State Department, Foreign Liquidation Commission in December 1946
  • Fate unknown.Specifications:
  • Displacement 40 t.
  • Length 70′
  • Beam 19′ 11″
  • Draft 4′ 6″
  • Speed 41 kts.
  • Complement 15
  • Armament: Two twin .50 cal. Browning M2 machine guns in Dewandre turrets and four 18″ torpedoes
    (MTB-263 added two .303 cal. twin Mk1 Lewis machine guns, one 20mm mount and two depth charges in addition to replacing the 18″ torpedoes with two 21″ torpedoes)
  • Propulsion: Three 3,600shp Packard V12 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.

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