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| USN 80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat 80' x 20' 8" x 5' 56 Tons 1 x 40mm gun 2 x 21" torpedoes 2 x 2 .50 cal MG 1 x 37mm gun 1 x 20mm cannon  USN October 25, 1944 |
Wartime History Built by Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ. Laid down August 7, 1942 as 80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat. Launched October 20, 1942. Completed November 6, 1942 and the same day delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN). Wartime History Assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 9 (MTBRon 9) and transported overseas to the South Pacific (SoPAC). Nicknamed "Killarney Curse" and later renamed "Miss Malaria" and finally "Lack-a-Nooky". On May 12, 1943 assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 12 (MTBRon 12) at Kana Kopa PT Boat Base in Milne Bay. Later, operates from Morobe PT Boat Base. On May 13, 1943 departs with PT-150 on a patrol off Lae. On May 14, 1943 in the early morning engaged a Japanese submarine, I-6 that escapes. On July 4, 1943 departs Morobe PT Boat Base with PT-120 each embarked 70 soldiers and in the afternoon enters Nassau Bay and transfers the passengers to Higgins boats to land them ashore. Next, operates from Dreger Harbor PT Boat Base. On December 23, 1943 PT-191 under the command of Ensign Rumsey Ewing and PT-152 departed Dreger Harbor PT Boat Base on an overnight patrol along the north coast of New Guinea. On December 24, 1943 while returning from the patrol after daybreak, they spotted what appeared to be a barge or submarine off Gneisenau Point. Closing, they engaged with gunfire targeting the submarine, picket boat and a pile of stores on the beach in gunny sacks. During a lull in the action, they heard a hissing sound of escaping compressed air and observed it to settle by the bow in shallow water with the stern towards shore. During the engagement, the PT Boats experience no return fire. Later, the "submarine" was examined and determined to be an Oogata Unkato (Large Type Cargo Transporting Tube). Afterwards, operated from Hollandia, and Mios Woendi PT Boat Base. During late October 1944 moves to San Pedro Bay off Leyte in the Philippines. On October 24, 1944 at the start of the Battle of Leyte Gulf that departs on a scouting mission as one of 39 PT Boats divided into sections of three tasked with finding the Japanese warships of Force C "Southern Force" in the Surigao Strait. On October 25, 1944 in the early morning hours the PT Boats were the first to engage the enemy at the start of the Battle of Surigao Strait. During the battle, PT-152 was engaged by Japanese destroyer and hit by a 4.7" shell that tore away the bow 37mm gun and fatally wounded the gunner and stunned the gunner and set fire to the bow and was caught in the destroyer's spotlight beam but broke off the attack when PT-152 dropped two depth charges set to explode at 100' depth and meanwhile the returned fire with the 40mm gunfire. Afterwards, repaired and operates from Ormoc Bay. Fate On October 26, 1945 placed out of service, stripped of usable parts and scuttled off Samar. References At Close Quarters PT Boats in the United States Navy (1962) pages 191 (July 4, 1943), 195-196 (Aug 28-29, 1943), 206-207 (October 17, 1943), 216-217 (December 24, 1943), 381 (October 25, 1944), 382 (photo), 460 (MTBRon 9), 462 (MTBRon 12) NavSource PT-152 Contribute
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