Greetings !
Today I received my Revell-Monogram reissue of 1/96 PT-212, a higgins 78’ boat. My Glencoe 1/48 Coast Guard Rescue Boat will also arrive soon. Despite its age, PT-212 seemed a nice kit to me, especially it’s shape seems very ggod. With some effort I hope to turn it into a nice model. However, I rather wish to build it as PT-201 which served as the “flagship” of General Mark Clark in Anzio landings. How I can find pictorial references to that particular boat ? For the rescue boat, I was thinking to make a diorama with a SBD ditched to the sea, however I’m not sure if these cutters were carried aboard warships [:-^] what do you think ?
Hello …
The PT-212 is not that good of a kit sir. It is undetailed and is extremely inaccurate on a myriad of levels. Al Ross or Ed Grune could list them better than me, one thing I could tell you sir? It does not depict the series of Higgins PT boat that the box art says it is, nor is it from the series of boat that you wish to depict. It depicts the Higgins boats from much later in the war. In order to depict the 201 - you will need to do a lot of plastic surgery on it to do that.
The kit’s guns are jokes. They have the gunners attached to them and they don’t even look like the guns that they are meant to represent. The depression rails around the turrets are way too thick and the twin .50s are boxes with sticks on the ends. There are “rings” around two of the guns located amidships and on the stern which are way too out of scale and their depression rails for these guns are too thick. The torpedoes and racks are molded in one piece and the detail on them is basic at best. The SO-Type radar and its mast is inaccurate.
The modeler who’s going to build (rebuild actually) mine is going to be using some 1:96 scale guns (20mm and 40mm) from John R. Haynes.
Now, as for the Glencoe life-boat, … it’s not the type of rescue boat I think you think it is; it is a surf boat. The type that would go out in order to save lives from a shipwreck close to shore and the like. It’s not an Air-Sea Rescue boat, but I can imagine that, at times, if a plane went down close to shore, it would rescue the flight crew.
Garth
Greetings. Thanks for the detailed info. Of course, at the first moment I examined the kit, all the guns and rails cried out to be thrown into the dustbin. Well anyway, all modelers who think to tackle with Revell’s 1/72 torpedo boat kits as well as this particular one, accept to replace all the weaponry with aftermarket parts from the start. I was happy that the hull shape was correct and the scale was just what I wanted. Still, are there any photographs of PT-201 to be found online ?
On the subject of my diorama project it seems that I failed miserably in my choice [banghead]
Hmmm,
Try www.pistolpackinmama.com or www.pistolpackinmomma.com - a site concerning the Higgins boats in the Med.
Also, try and posting a question on the bulletin-board at www.ptboats.org - point it toward a man named Will Day - or even Frank Andruss - they might have photos of the 201 boat.
Garth
Good Day!
In answer to your question regarding the Glencoe model…the 36’ motor life boat(not a surfboat, a surfboat is 25’6" and is not self righting) was a U S Coast Guard shore based rescue craft. The boat depicted in the kit is a type “TRS” with origins that date back to 1900(type “E”). The USCG operated the type “TRS” from the 1930’s until 1987 when the last boat was retired from active service at the Depoe Bay CG Station on the West Coast. It should also be noted that the Canadian CG also operated their version of the US boat in Canadian waters. As to a rescue diorama… these specialized boats were not carried on any CG or Navy ships; however, they were carried on the Coast Guard “Wind” class Ice Breakers for a short time after WWII, being replaced with a larger “Arctic cruiser” in the 1950’s. It would not be outside the realm of possibility to depict a USCG 36’ MLB rescuing an ditched SBD in WWII in stateside waters. The 36’ were not a fast boat(9 knots) but could handle 20 foot seas, capsize, self right with engine running.
In WWII there was a small coastal auxillery air field(used for training)here in my home state. With no crash boat availible, the nearby CG Station would launch the 36’ to standby offshore at the field(which trained SBD pilots, among other aircraft) at the request of the Navy. So your desire to depict a US Navy plane “in the drink” with the Glencoe boat is very possible. Keep in mind the lifeboat would be painted white, not gray, even though it’s wartime. The Glencoe model(ex-ITC models) itself dates back to the 1950’s and is an accurate example of this type of small craft. With a little work it can be depicted as the type “T”, “TR”, as well as type “TRS”. If you have any other questions regarding the 36’ MLB, feel free to ask. Good luck in your project.
Regards
Mike Maynard USCG(RET)
Hey Mike,
Long time, no see … how’ve you been?
Garth
Hi Garth
How’s the resident PT boat/small craft guru these days? I finished my Air Force air/sea rescue boat a ways back, I’d post it here on the site but can’t figure out the process, just call me the Geico caveman of computers. I check out your posts, both here and on another site, you always contribute something to the discussion. Take care.
Mike M.
Oh, I’m ‘OK’ … Looking for a new job but ‘OK’ …
If you’d like, I will post your model on my site - let me know.