WWII PT Boat Fully Restored
Amphenol Industrial Operations (AIO) sponsored The National WWII Museum during their endeavor to bring patrol torpedo boat PT-305 back to the water. The restoration began ten years ago, and AIO has been involved since 2014. It supplied a number of its 97 Series connectors to enable the PT-305 team to faithfully and accurately restore the boat's instrumentation and electrical systems to their former glory.
Built in New Orleans by Higgins Industries, the patrol-torpedo (PT) boat PT-305 was a critical asset for the US Navy during World War II, serving in European waters from 1944 to the end of the war. Heavily armed, equipped with advanced technology, uniquely manoeuvrable, often ingeniously modified, and reliant on cooperation and teamwork, PT boats were a perfect naval expression of the American Spirit at war. With small crews within collaborative 12-ship squadrons, they were also the home to a colourful collection of Navy sailors and a dramatic backdrop for moving personal stories of war, including the trials of cramped quarters, the terrifying thrill of combat, and humorous tales of shore-leave escapades.
Following her wartime service, PT-305 served as a New York tour boat, a fishing charter, and an oyster boat, undergoing modifications along the way: new, less-costly engines; several new paint jobs; and a dramatic reduction in length. When she was acquired by The National WWII Museum, PT-305 was in dry dock in Galveston, Texas, and in serious disrepair. In April 2007, accompanied by Museum curators, PT-305 found her way back to New Orleans, where The National WWII Museum became her home on land until she could be returned to her former glory. Now fully restored, PT-305 is returning to duty on Lake Pontchartrain—where she was tested before shipping off to war—for rides and tours starting in April 2017.
For the first time in history, passenger rides are available on a fully restored PT boat as PT-305 begins her new mission: connecting today's generations to the WWII story through direct, authentic experiences with an authentic macro artifact operating as she did during the war.
