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Old 07-22-2016, 05:47 AM   #6
Kamper
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PT boats...

The US Navy primarily used two types of PT Boats but had a few from pre-war experimental batches as well. US yards also made several British MTB/MGB models under Lend/lease for export and several of those were retained for training and coast patrol (TV's PT-73 was one of those.) Towards the end of the war they were being made from aluminum and most of the wooden boats were stripped and burned after VJ Day.

Without the weight of weapons, a PT Boat could make a good bit of speed with one engine removed and removing two would be adequate for a mail-boat. Changing from aviation-gas guzzlers to regular gas or diesel engines would also reduce operating expenses tremendously. I have no knowledge to confirm this type of vessel ever operated on the lake but there would have been several types available that might have been candidates for this service.
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