Patrol torpedo boat PT-37

The PT-37 was an American PT-20 class motor torpedo boat deployed in World War II. It was laid down 12 April 1941 by the Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ, and entered service on 18 July 1941.

History
United States of America
Name: PT-37
Builder: Electric Boat Company
Laid down: 12 April 1941
Launched: 25 June 1941
Sponsored by: United States Navy
Completed: 18 July 1941
Out of service: 1 February 1943, sunk by Kawakaze
General characteristics
Class and type: Patrol torpedo boat
Tonnage: 40 gross register tons
Length: 77 feet o/a
Beam: 19 feet 11 inches
Height: 4 feet 6 inches
Propulsion: Three 1,500 hp Packard V12 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts.
Armament: Two twin .50 caliber Browning M2 machine guns; Two .303 caliber Lewis machine guns; 2 21" torpedo tubes; Four torpedoes
Service record

On 11–12 December 1942, while patrolling off Guadalcanal, PT-37 and PT-40 attacked the Japanese destroyer Teruzuki (then the flagship of Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka), successfully hitting her with torpedoes.[1] Depth charges on the ship eventually exploded causing her to sink three hours later.[1]

PT-37 was sunk by gunfire from the Japanese destroyer Kawakaze off Guadalcanal on 1 February 1943.[2][3]

Further reading
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - USS PT
  • At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy
  • Motor Torpedo Boat Manual, February 1943

References
  1. Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2012). "IJN Teruzuki: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  2. Radigan, Joseph M. "Motor Torpedo Boat Photo Archive PT-37". NavSource - Naval Source History. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  3. Lettens, Jan (11 May 2010). "USS PT-37 (+1943)". wrecksite.eu.
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