Editing PT boat (section)

===Gunboats===
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2025}}
In the [[Solomon Islands campaign|Solomon Islands in 1943]], three {{convert|77|ft|m|adj=on}} PT boats, ''PT-59'', ''PT-60'', and ''PT-61'', were converted into "PT gunboats" by stripping them of all original armament except the two twin .50 cal (12.7&nbsp;mm) gun mounts, then adding two 40&nbsp;mm and four twin .50 cal (12.7&nbsp;mm) mounts. Lieutenant Kennedy was the first commanding officer of ''PT-59'' after its conversion. On 2 November 1943, ''PT-59'' participated in the rescue of 40 to 50 [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] during the [[raid on Choiseul]] and a foundering [[LCVP (United States)|Landing Craft, Personnel (Ramp) (LCP(R))]] which was under fire from Japanese soldiers on the beach.<ref>{{cite book |last=Donovan |first=Robert J. |title=PT-109: John F. Kennedy in WW II |pages=176–184}}</ref>

Late in the war, a new electrically-powered multiple gun mounting was developed by Elco for PT boats, known as the 'Thunderbolt'. At least three different versions appear to have been built and tested; one with six .50-cal Browning M2 machine-guns and two 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikon cannon, another with two .50-cal machine-guns and four 20&nbsp;mm cannon and a version with just the four cannon. In mid-1944, the cannon-only version of the Thunderbolt was experimentally fitted to four operational 80&nbsp;ft Elco boats which served with PTBRON 29 in the Mediterranean theatre: These were ''PT''s ''556-559''. Photographic evidence shows that these boats landed their torpedoes and did not operate as torpedo craft when shipping the large and heavy Thunderbolt. According to Bulkley in chapter 18 of 'At Close Quarters' the multiple 20&nbsp;mm mounting was anticipated to be "of limited usefulness" against "well compartmented F-lighters" where even the 40&nbsp;mm Bofors struggled to inflict serious damage.

The weapon was trialled operationally on the nights of July 16/17 and July 18/19, when ''PT 558'' (Ens. Aalton D. Monaghan) patrolled off the Antibes area with two regular 40&nbsp;mm-armed boats and on both occasions engaged small single patrol boats; both craft were sunk by the combined gunfire of the American patrol. Lt Cmdr Daunis reported that "The Elco Thunderbolt mount has been used in two gunnery attacks and has proven to be an exceptional weapon."