Race across enemy-controlled waters aboard one of World War II’s fastest and most aggressive small combat vessels! PT boats used speed, surprise, and torpedoes to threaten warships many times their size before disappearing into darkness or the cover of coastal islands.
This Mil-Blox model captures the low-profile design and heavily armed appearance of an American patrol torpedo boat. Build a fast attack craft ready for nighttime patrols, coastal raids, reconnaissance missions, and close-range battles across the Pacific and other WWII theaters.
Features
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Low-profile patrol torpedo boat design
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Side-mounted torpedo tubes
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Bow-mounted cannon
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Multiple deck-mounted machine guns
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Aft gun position
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Raised bridge and observation area
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Communications mast
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Side-mounted equipment and fenders
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Life ring
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Gray naval color scheme
Specifications
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Block Count: 675
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Mil-Figs Included: 0
History
Development
PT stood for Patrol Torpedo, describing a class of small, fast attack boats developed to carry torpedoes into coastal waters where larger warships could not easily operate. The United States expanded its motor torpedo boat program shortly before entering World War II, producing designs that included the well-known 80-foot Elco and 78-foot Higgins boats.
Constructed primarily from wood and powered by high-performance gasoline engines, PT boats traded armor and heavy protection for speed, maneuverability, and striking power. Their armament varied throughout the war as crews added heavier machine guns, automatic cannons, rockets, and other weapons.
Operational Role
PT boats conducted nighttime torpedo attacks against enemy ships, patrolled coastlines, intercepted supply traffic, landed reconnaissance teams, rescued downed aviators, and supported larger naval and amphibious operations. Their shallow draft allowed them to work from remote island bases and move through narrow coastal waters.
Although designed to attack major warships, PT boats increasingly targeted barges and smaller supply vessels as the war progressed. These missions disrupted enemy logistics and made coastal movement more dangerous.
Historical Significance
PT boats served in the Pacific, Mediterranean, and English Channel, demonstrating how small craft could challenge larger forces through speed and surprise. Their crews operated in exposed conditions and relied on darkness, careful navigation, and aggressive tactics for survival.
The best-known American PT boat was PT‑109, commanded by future President John F. Kennedy. Its loss in the Solomon Islands and the survival of its crew became one of the most famous small-boat stories of World War II.
Build a fast-striking vessel from America’s WWII naval forces and add the PT Boat to your Mil-Blox collection.
