.50 Caliber Browning Machine Guns on a PT Boat

Patrol Torpedo Boat gunner shows the business end of his twin Browning .50 caliber machine gun mount. PT Boats shared the same basic design from class to class, but armament varied depending on the crew's choice and available mutions. Some boats removed their torpedoes in the absence of Japanese capital ships and mounted extra guns, even 37mm antitank guns and 40mm antiaircraft guns. New Guinea, with its large coastline and many surrounding islands, allowed effective use of PT Boats to interdict Japanese supplies, destroy small craft, and patrol the battle area for ships and mines. Fourteen PT Boats were lost in or near New Guinea. They were PT-67 (Explosion), March 17, 1943; PT-119 (Explosion), March 17, 1943; PT-113 (Grounding), August 8, 1943; PT-136 (Grounding), September 17, 1943; PT-68 (Grounding), October 1, 1943; PT-147 (Grounding), November 19, 1943; PT-322 (Grounding), November 23, 1943; PT-145 (Grounding), January 4, 1944; PT-110 (Collision), January 26, 1944; PT-337 (Gunfire), March 7, 1944; PT-339 (Grounding), May 27, 1944; PT-193 (Grounding), June 25, 1944; PT-133 (Gunfire), July 15, 1944; PT-301 (Explosion), November 7, 1944.