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PTF 3 HISTORY
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| First in the series of U.S. Navy NASTY Class Patrol Torpedo
Fast boats, PTF 3 marked the return of the wooden PT Boats to the U.S.
Navy. Commissioned in 1963, PTF 3 was sent to South-east Asia in the
fall of 1963 as a "Spook Boat" operated by MAC V SOG, Maritime Special
Ops, PTF 3 along with 5 other PTF boats began raids against North
Vietnam by attacking shore installations and inserting special
operations teams.
It was during
a series of raids from 31 July to 4 August 1964 on Hon Mei Island in
North Vietnam that the North Vietnamese counter attacked the PTF Boats
with their torpedo boats, chasing the PTF Boats away from the coast and
into the path of two U.S. Navy Destroyers the U.S.S. Maddox and the
U.S.S. Turner Joy. The ensueing naval battle is known to history as the
Tonkin Gulf Incident.
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Within a week President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the
Incident to the American People as an unprovoked attack of U.S. Naval
Ships on the High Seas. The Congress of the United States passed the
Tonkin Gulf Resolution, authorizing President Johnson to escalate, what
had been a civil war in Southeast Asia into the Vietnam War of
1964-1975.
PTF 3 was
turned back over to the U.S. Navy in 1965. Based out of Danang, RVN,
PTF 3 continued operations against North Vietnam inserting SEAL,
Special Forces, Force RECON Marines and South Vietnamese Sea Commando
units. PTF 3 participated in the Psychological Warfare program called
the League of he Sacred Sword. A fictitious resistance movement that
kept several North Vietnamese Army Divisions busy and out of the war
hunting phantom guerrillas.
PTF 3
returned to the U.S. in the early 1970's and was stationed at the Navy
Diver Training Facility at Key West, FL. Decommissioned in 1977, and
sold for scrap in 1978, donated to Boy Scout Troup 544 in 2001.
SPECIFICATIONS:
BUILT:
Masden, Norway 1962 as KNM SKREI Torpedo
COMMISSIONED: U.S. Navy PTF 3 1963
LENGTH: 80 feet, 4 inches
BEAM: 24 feet, 5 inches
DRAFT: 6 feet, 10 inches
SPEED: 43+ knots
CONSTRUCTION: Double planked Honduran Mahogany
ARMAMENT: 40 mm BOFORS (1)
.50 M2 / 81mm (1)
20 mm Mark 3 (2)
7.62 mm M60 MG (4)
5.56 mm M16 rifles
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| With her main engines removed, PTF 3 sat idle for almost 25
years, bouncing from dock too dock in South Florida. On 25 May 2003,
after 30 hours and 250 miles, pushed by tug, PTF 3 arrived in Edgewater
Florida. Two weeks later she was dismantled and lifted from the water,
on 25 July 2003 the 80 foot long, 60 ton vessel was moved overland 43
miles to the Deland Naval Air Station Museum for a 3 year restoration
program.
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On
completion, the Nasty Class gunboat will be permanently docked at
Sanford, Florida. Continuing to serve as a Living History Museum and
Sea Scout / U.S. Navy Sea Cadet Training Ship. Restored to her 1963
appearance, PTF 3 will make annual cruises to other seaport naval
museums.
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TO DONATE AND SUPPORT:
PTF 3 RESTORATION PROJECT
P.O. Box 740789
Orange City, FL 32774-0789
TEL: (800) 694-7161
info@pft3restoration.org
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