Wooden Warriors

WOODEN WARRIORS: THE ELCO PT BOATSThe untold story of how 399 PT boats were built at the Electric Launch Company’s Bayonne, New Jersey plant during World War II-told through 343 rare and never-before-published photographs from private collections, company archives, and the families of Elco executives.This comprehensive photographic history documents every aspect of PT boat production, from Henry Sutphen and Irwin Chase’s dramatic 1939 voyage to England aboard the Queen Mary to purchase the Scott-Paine design, through the evolution of the 70-foot, 77-foot, and legendary 80-foot PT boats that served in every theater of World War II.Drawing on photographs from Irwin Chase (Managing Constructor), Frank W. Rowe (Assistant Supervisor), Charles Waller (Executive Assistant to Works Manager), legendary marine photographer Morris Rosenfeld, and PT Boats Inc. archives, this volume provides an insider’s view never before available to historians or enthusiasts.SIX COMPREHENSIVE CHAPTERSChapter 1: Scott-Paine Design and the Elco Seventy-Foot Boat - The British connection, PT-9’s arrival in America, Packard engine development, and the boats that were lend-leased to Britain (51 photos)Chapter 2: Elco’s Seventy-Seven-Foot Design - Adapting to American 21-inch torpedoes, mahogany and spruce construction techniques, and the transition to mass production (51 photos)Chapter 3: The Elco Eighty-Footer - Complete technical specifications of the iconic 80-foot PT boat: Packard 4M-2500 engines producing 1,350 hp, 3,000-gallon fuel capacity, depth charge racks, smoke generators, double-planked mahogany hulls, and legendary engineering innovations (67 photos)Chapter 4: The Workers Who Made It Happen - The human story behind PT boat production: three-shift operations, women workers taking over as men went to war, the Electrical Department, Sheet Metal Department, Police and Fire Departments, welding and training programs, the apprenticeship system, and training school for over 2,500 officers and enlisted men (65 photos)Chapter 5: The Lighter Side of War - Plant morale programs, Labor-Management Committee initiatives, six Army-Navy 'E' Awards for excellence, War Service Fund packages sent to PT boat squadrons. (67 photos)Chapter 6: End of an Era - The final boats, post-war disposition, and Elco’s closure in 1949, marking the end of 57 years of pioneering powerboat construction (42 photos)UNIQUE FEATURES:- Detailed photo captions providing technical specifications, worker stories, and historical context- Behind-the-scenes views of construction techniques: frame fabrication, double-planked mahogany hulls with marine glue and canvas, Monel and brass fastening systems- Rare photographs of the wet boat basin, assembly buildings, testing operations, and aerial views of the Bayonne facility- Documentation of workplace conditions, safety programs, gas rationing, and the role of women in wartime production- Technical diagrams and construction details never before published- Archival images showing the boats in various stages of assembly and testingFrom the Scott-Paine prototype to the 80-foot boats that fought at Guadalcanal, the Philippines, and the Mediterranean, this is the complete photographic record of the workers, engineers, managers, and dedicated craftspeople who built the boats that helped win World War II.An essential reference work combining technical documentation, social history, and unprecedented visual access to one of America’s most important wartime manufacturing achievements.