Operators United States Navy In commission 1962–1981 Type Patrol boat | Built 1962–1968 Completed 20 | |
 | ||
Builders Westermoen Båtbyggeri, Mandal, Norway
John Trumpy & Sons, Annapolis, Maryland | ||
Construction
Following World War II the US Navy had little use for fast attack craft, and most of her PT boats were disposed of shortly after VJ Day. With the involvement in the Vietnam War the Navy saw a renewed need for small combatant craft for "brown water" operations, and they approached the Norwegian Westermoen company, which had built a prototype fast attack boat, the Nasty, and was currently building a set of 12 vessels (the Tjeld-class patrol boats) for the Royal Norwegian Navy.
Contents
The USN ordered two vessels, which were delivered in 1962 and were designated PTF 3 and PTF 4. This was followed in 1966 with an order for 14 more (PTF's 5-16), with an agreement for a further six to be built under licence by Trumpy of Annapolis. Trumpy's had been a major contributor to the USN's PT fleet in World War II, and had been one of just four yards asked post-war to build a prototype PT boat to consolidate wartime experience and the lessons learned.
The Norwegian boats were delivered in 1964, and the Trumpy boats three years later.
A subsequent improved version, the Osprey class, was larger with aluminum instead of wooden hulls, of which four were operated by the U.S.Navy, assigned hull numbers PTF-23 through PTF-26.
Service history
All vessels of the class saw action during the war in Vietnam, being employed by Special Forces for clandestine operations along the coast of North Vietnam. During these operations six boats were lost; one (PTF 4) in 1964 and five more in 1966. In 1966 four boats were transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy, though they were returned and re-commissioned in 1970.
With the end of the conflict the need for these boats evaporated, and the high maintenance costs of such vessels militated against retaining them. Most were disposed of in the 1970s and all were gone by 1981.