Evening star., 1943-12-12
Reporter Tells of Thrills on q PIT
AT Exhibition STAGED for British
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,
Star Staff Correspondent,


BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,
Star Staff Correspondent.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, Dec. 1.-One
moment they were circling lazily
about the stationary patrol boat
those lean craft that clung so close
to the slate-colored surface of Ches-
apeake Bay. Within seeming in
stant they were gone, lost in spray
engulfed in their own wakes, half
in, half out of the water.
The five surface craft, which cut
the tips of the waves so swiftly, were
the Nays hit-run aSsassinS-the
famous PIT boats. Recently built
in the Annapolis Yacht Yard, they
were showing British naval officers,
who soon were to take them over,
what they could do.
Aboard them were visiting re-
porters and photographers, few on
each. Those who had never been
on P-T-and most of us hadn't
got a special sort Of thrill, different
from maneuvering planes, giders,
landing craft and what not.
Some Bear Union Jack.
A couple of the P rs, which
already had been turned over to our
ally, had British crews and flew the
Union Jack. The others, yet to be
formally delivered, still bore the
Stars and Stripes and American
naval crews. A young British off,
Ger commanded the little f1otilla,
signalling with his arm from the
open, wind-whipped bridge when he
wanted the boats to make hair
pin turn or slice their way into in
tricate formations.
Leaving the yard on the Severn
River where they were created, the
PTS slipped out in single file,
taking it easy until they got out
on the bay. Then the triple
engines on each boat unlimbered
some OF their power, and we began
skimming over the water with the
speed of trains. $3.50
1t was a gray day, with clouds
hanging low, and We churned
| SACup PhtAkS III UliO ctCCly WdtCI
leaving a wake that looked caver-
nous and seemed reluctant to close
up. We could not, OF course, see
how our own PROV was riding, but
we noticed that our fellow craft
were dashing in typical speed
launch style. Their bows were
completely out of the water, their
sterns deep in the troughs they had
cut. The PTS are, in fact, speed
boats, only considerably larger,
each 10 feet or more in length.
Sailors Nonchalant.
We rushed on toward the East
ern shore Of Maryland, scattered
about the deck, holding on to what
ever was handy, and the chill wind
we had stirred up lashed us with
numbing force. The officers and
sailors, used to the violent ways
Of PTS. did not cling to iron bars
or hatch covers. They moved care
lessly over the deck or stood on the
unprotected bridge apparently OBJ
livious to the cold.
Ahead, the British officer on the
flagship" held up rigid arm.
Within a matter Of seconds, it
seemed, each Of the four boats
spread out abaft Jared to a stop
and hovered about the lead craft,
drifting, steering out of the way
Of one another. 1t was much
warmer now, and numbed ears and
cheeks began to belong to one
again.
But it wasn't for long. The lead
skipper's arm began to circle. En-
gines leaped into roaring action, and
the five boats shot forward. They
came abreast and maintained an
alignment. Again the marrow-pierc-
ing cold moved in.
We were not, we were told, going
full speed. They wouldn't let us
test our engines fully. But we were
going well over As miles an hour
fast enough to get an idea of what a
PIT Is like The PTS will make
well, the Navy isn't saying, but
somewhere around a mile a minute,
perhaps more.
They depend largely on speed to
achieve their missions. They skim
out Of inlets and into the open sea,
dash up to an enemy ship, discharge
their torpedoes and are gone before
the foe can get a gun in action.
Painted the color OF the water and
riding so close to it. they're hard
for planes to spot. The American
and British navies have used them
with telling effect in various parts
Of the world. In addition to the
torpedo tubes port and starboard on
the decks, each has an antiaircraft
battery.
Sharp Turn Exhibitions.
The British officers arm moved in
cryptic fashion. The boats slipped
back in single file. We were to show
the patrol boat, which was filled
with observers, officers and camera
men, some sharp turns. We were
going at the top speed allowed US,
and the lead boat spun around to
port. The others followed. We kept
in the trough of two boats ahead.
and sometimes we hit a wave they
had churned and came down with
a thud. The boat behind us looked
lost IN spray-you could barely dis
Germ It.
Our American skipper, who tests
PTS when they come out of the
yard, was at the wheel. We leaned
over to port until the deck seemed
to touch the waves as we spun
about in this game of follow the
leader.
A couple of us must have looked
as If we were three-quarters frozen
and the job would soon be COM
pleted. for an officer suggested we
60 below and get warm. That had