PT-314
Contents
Description
The Elco 80 ft PT-314 is a rank III American motor torpedo boat with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X" as part of the fleet closed beta test.
General info
Survivability and armour
The PT-314, as a MTB, isn't the most survivable. It has a crew count of 12, many of which are located at the gun turrets, meaning that the boat can't take too many hits before the crew is depleted. The boat's engines, fuel tank and ammunition stowages are all exposed above the waterline to some extent, meaning that they are susceptible to critical damage. The only armoured spots are the bridge (6.35 mm of hardened armour) and the 40 mm cannon (12.7 mm antifragmentation armour); the ship's other turrets are easily knocked out by enemy gunfire.
Mobility
The PT-314's mobility is fairly competitive among MTBs. The boat has a top speed of 105 km/h in arcade and 75 km/h in realistic mode, making it fairly fast among MTBs. Additionally, the PT-314 has a decent turning circle, though sustained turns will bleed off the boat's speed. Finally, the PT-314's acceleration is pretty mediocre for an MTB.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 105 | 28 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 75 | 20 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Armament
Primary armament
The PT-314 gets access to a single 40 mm Bofors guns at the stern of the vessel. This weapon is extremely potent against aircraft due to its accuracy and punching power. Though this weapon fires slower than the 20 mm Oerlikon or 12.7 mm AN/M2, it more than makes up for it due to its hard-hitting 40 mm shells. The 40 mm Bofors is capable of shredding aircraft and small boats from ranges of 2.5 km away, though effectiveness will drop off after that range due to the large bullet drop. The gun fires from 4-round clips that reload continuously, meaning that the weapon is capable of continuous fire. However, note that it will eventually overheat and jam after firing for too long.
Alongside the 40 mm cannon, the PT-314 gets access to a single 37 mm AN-M4 cannon located on the bow. This weapon is an interesting autocannon and fires much slower than the Bofors at the rear. It's also magazine-fed, meaning that it will have to reload after every thirty shots. Despite this, the weapon has great damage-dealing capacity and can be used in conjunction with the 40 mm Bofors cannon to deal with naval targets.
Secondary armament
The PT-314 gets access to a single 20 mm Oerlikon cannon as its secondary armament. The 20 mm Oerlikon Cannon was the standard light anti-aircraft gun for several nations, including the United States, and replaced the prior AN/M2 Browning machine gun. This weapon is an effective short-range AA gun, but can be used against ships as well. The weapon has access to three belts: Default, AP and HE. Of these, the HE belt is by far the most effective against boats and aircraft due to its high explosive mass. As well, the guns fire from a drum magazine that will need to be reloaded. Because of the magazine design, the gun will not jam with continuous fire.
Anti-aircraft armament
The PT-314 gets access to two dual 12.7 mm AN/M2 machine gun mounts. The AN/M2 is a navalized anti-aircraft version of the popular Browning machine gun. This gun is rather ineffective at dealing significant damage to enemy aircraft, and is only effective within a ~1.5 to 2 km range at most. As well, keep in mind that these guns have a long 12-second reload after the gun’s magazine has been depleted. Due to the magazine configuration, the gun will not jam with continuous firing.
Additional armament
The PT-314 gets access to four 569 mm Mk.13 torpedoes, also found on many other American MTBs. This torpedo is a short torpedo designed for aircraft, and as a result, it has some downsides. Notably, the torpedo has a small explosive filler of 178 kg of TNT, along with a slow running speed of 56 km/h. The torpedoes have a maximum range of 5.21 km, and no modification is available to increase this range. The primary downside of these torpedoes is that you will likely need multiple hits to destroy larger vessels; against cruisers, the torpedoes may not even do damage if running at 1 m depth. Additionally, the slow speed of these torpedoes makes them quite difficult-to-aim. Thus, the Mk.13 is best used in ambush situations from short range, where multiple hits are highly likely.
Usage in battles
Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good firepower, can effectively engage both air and other sea targets
- Good mobility, with great top speed
- Armour is thin enough not to set off HE fuzes
- Relatively small target
Cons:
- Guns are awkwardly placed around the hull
- Thin armour means it's easily shredded even by rifle-calibre machine guns
History
PT-314 was laid down on 11 December 1942 and launched on 20 February 1943. PT-314 was in service from 11 March 1943 until sold on 23 June 1948. PT-314 served in MTB RON 5 in the South Pacific under Lt John W. Ewell. [1]
PT-314 was the lead boat in a class of 54 (314-367) built for the US Navy in 1943.
Media
- Skins
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
References
- ↑ Steve Laroe, US PT Boats List: Squadron List, http://www.hazegray.org/
| Electric Launch Company (Elco) Ships | |
|---|---|
| Patrol Torpedo Boats (PT) | |
| 77' PT | PT-20 · PT-59 |
| 80' PT | PT-103 · PT-109 · PT-174 · PT-314 · Thunderbolt (PT-556) · PT-565 |
| USA boats | |
|---|---|
| Motor torpedo boats | PT-3 · PT-6 · PT-20 · PT-71 · PT-103 · PT-109 · PT-174 |
| PT-200 · PT-314 · Thunderbolt (PT-556) · PT-565 · PT-658 · PT-810 · PT-811 · PT-812 | |
| Motor gun boats | Kim Qui · LCS(L)(3) · PT-59 · PTF-7 · USS Candid · USS Asheville · USS Douglas · USS Flagstaff · USS Tucumcari · USS Cyclone |
| Armoured gun boats | LCM(6) Zippo |
