Now that the Italeri PT 596 kit is getting into modelers’ hands, a number of recurring questions are popping up on the various forums, most dealing with kit-bashing. For those of you building this kit, the following may be of use:

1. The basic superstructure configuration of the Italeri kit applies to boats in the 372-383, 486-563, and 565-624 groups. Boats in this series seeing action included:

RON 27 (PT 372-377) - South Pacific
RON 28 (PT 378-383, 546-551) - South Pacific
RON 29 (PT 552-563) - Mediterranean
RON 33 (PT 488-497) - SW Pacific
RON 34 (PT 498-509) - English Channel
RON 35 (PT 510-521) - English Channel
RON 36 (PT 522-532) - SW Pacific
RON 37 (PT 533-544) - SW Pacific
RON 38 (PT 565-576) - SW Pacific

Refer to: Bulkley, Robert. At Close Quarters. (Washington, DC: GPO. 1962) for more detailed information on these squadrons.

2. The armament configuration of the Italeri kit is only suitable for some Pacific ELCOs and possibly a few of this series assigned to RON 4, the training squadron at Melville, RI. Photos of RON 37 boats, for instance, show them with a 37mm forward, but it is not the conical mount fitted to 565 on; rather, it is the modified 20mm tripod mount. Some, if not all, of the RON 37 boats also had an additional 20mm MK14 offset to starboard forward.

The European ELCOs were usually more lightly armed and the 37mm was seldom fitted, although I have seen contemporary news footage showing it fitted to 509, 515, 517, and 519 in place of the normal 20mm on the bow to port.

3. While there were directives for painting the boats at various times, you really need to look at photos to determine what boats were in what Measure. For instance, RON 29 boats in the Med were initially painted in a modified Measure 16 (Thayer Blue). However, if you look at various photos of them in Chun’s American PT Boats of WWII, you’ll notice that the shade of the decks varies considerably. Whether the darker ones were more recently painted than the lighter ones or whether they were a different color, I don’t know. They all have the light-colored (white??) panel across the bow. There are photos of the RON 34 boats (English Channel) in the normal Measure 13, but also in a very dark scheme with much lighter deck furniture (ready-service lockers, etc.) with no two boats quite the same. In his history of RON 37 (PT 533-544) Leo Brown, who was with the boats as they were coming off the line, describes them as being gray (most likely Measure 13) when built. However, he indicates they were then sent to another yard to be painted a green camouflage, which from the photos in the book was Measure 31/20L. This procedure is consistent with the specs books.

Al Ross

Thanks, Mr. Ross!
Copied and pasted into a word.doc, filed away in my "Elco" file for future reference, sir!
Very valuable and worthwhile info. . .
~Gunny

Thanks Al. This is a great help for those wanting to build this kit.

Hello Al

I am not even going to mention the Allied Coastal Forces Volumes, but on the Victor Chun's book cover show PT-191 in a similar configuration as the Italeri model (ok - I haven't the model yet), with the exception of the rocket launchers...
Page 45, bottom photo (PT-558 - just need to scratchbuilt a Thunderbolt gun - but has a "dull" colour scheme) Operated in the Med.
Pages 84 & 85 - they could be the Italeri model, if it wasn't for the radar and the mast
The painting is Measure 31* Camouflage Design 20-L, as you mention in your post...
* Measure 31 aka Dark Pattern System

Pages 144 & 145 - bow and stern shots of... PT-596! Mast as described above (streamlined radar cover, and more intricaded and fragille looking mast
Page 146 - Port shot. Special note goes to the Dingy!

And Al, even though I will not EVER doubt you - according to the hull number of the Italeri model PT-596 was assigned to Ron 40 - Pacific Fleet.

Another good source (much older than Victor Chun's book, this is from 1980) is:
"United States PT-Boats of World War II", by Frank D. Johnson
Published by Blanford
ISBN: 0-7137-1025-X

A cheap reference:
"PT Boats in Action" by T.Garth Connely (+ Don Greer, Tom Tullis and Joe Sewell)
Squadron Signal - Warship in Action series #7
ISBN 0-89747-312-4

And then, there's two Bibles:
"Allied Coastal Forces of World War II - Volume II Vosper MTB's & US Elco's"
John Lambert and Al Ross
Conway
ISBN 0-85177-602-7

and

"AmericanPT Boats in World War II"
by Victor Chun
Schiffer Military History Books
ISBN 0-7643-0256-6

I am not "polishing" Al Ross, but his book together wih Chun's book, combined make the ultimate reference on PT's (Elco's). I highly recommend them both, although they are a little on the expensive side - but then, you pay for the quality!
The Squadron-Signal booklet is a good reference for starters, or for those who are not that nitpicky!
Thanks for sharing this information Al,
Cheers
Skipper

PS: On November, in Telford, I had the chance to speak a little with the other half of the Allied Coastal Forces Team
a Happy Modeler and a circle closed??
And a little of the topic: Volume III? Any further news from the Publisher?
Keep safe

EDIT: Now we only "need" aftermarket parts for:
- New mast and radar
- Old fashioned mast
- Depth charges and depth charges racks
- Packard engines
- Torpedo tubes (Mk XIII) - so that all the Elco 80 feet classes can be made out if the Italeri model

Hi Al,

many Thanks for the info.

Cheers

Al

Is the RADAR set up on the RON 29 boats the same as kitted in 596 or is this something we are going to have to scratch/kitbash.modify?

I'd not mind seeing the Thunderbolt mount and maybe the RADAR setup as an aftermarket set/

I think H&R makes a Depth Charge and a roll off rack for them in 1/32d. How noticible do you all think that might be?

Anyway, glad to have this big beauty and I have to admit, the choices are both many and striking.

The RON 29 boats were fitted with SO radar, which is the older unit with the antenna enclosed in the dome. The 596 was fitted with SO3, which has the drive motor in the "football" and the antenna atop it. I've uploaded drawings of the two types to:

http://www.coastalforcesplans.com/id21.html




Well, the standard MK6 charge would be approximately .56" x .875" in 1/32 scale and .51" x .80" in 1/35 (~14,22mm x 22,23mm and ~12,95mm x 20,32mm).

Okay and those plans are what scale? Somewhere, i still have the 1/32d Ferrel drawiings. I have been searching the spares boxes for a radome, the mast structure itself looks to be flat sided but can't tell exactly.

Anyway, by the time any of us get it scratched together, some aftermarket guy will have the parts done.

All you need are four Oerlikons and some plastic card to make the shield, some streched sprue and work
The most hard part is the Oerlikons - either buy them at Accurate Armour or cast from the model parts

Just a thought
Skipper

The originals were 1/32 scale, but these were scanned from ACF V2, so are no particular scale. Just compare them to the kit pieces and enlarge/reduce accordingly.

The two vertical components of the mast are flat.

Al

Well, this is a eat my own words post!
I have just got my own Italeri PT today, and I really don't know why have I thought (getting old?) that the mast and the radar was a SO version!!!
The radar and mast included in the model are the correct ones for PT-596 as described in the Victor Chun's book!!!!

Sorry for any misleading that my own mistake may have caused!

Skipper (foot in mouth desiese)

Hey skipper!!! As you build it, see if there are some of the armament parts you could eliminate to make the kit more versatile. LIke rocket pods and such. I would like to eventually do one of these beauties, but don't wat to make it into the "gunboat" version it comes as.

Just a thought
Skipper[/quote]

I'm a retired Fed, what's thought?

The original ELCO drawings for the 486-545 group show them with a single 20mm MK10 aft and a single 20mm MK14 forward. The placement of the MK13 torpedoes is also different. Photos of this particular batch are hard to come by and most show a different, often field modified configuration.

If you want to try something very different, consider the boats built for the Soviets. Gun armament was the same as the above group, but they mounted two MK19 torpedo tubes in place of the roll-off racks. The MK19s are those built by Higgins and fitted to their early boats.

Copies of the original ELCO drawings for both of the above are included in Vic Chun's book.

Al Ross

Well, I i think i found the basis for an SO radome and I think i now have the motor box as well. So, we 'll see . I have a photo in a couple of books of PT-552 with the 37mm forward and the 40 aft along with the 20 port forward of the chart house.

As for scratch building the Thunderbolt, well, maybe next time.

Thanks for the mast info , Al.

I'm in the process of back-dating the 596 to the 495 from Ron33 in mid-late '44.
Here is a photo of the work to date.


My latest mod was relocating the torpedo racks.

Here is a link to more photos:

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1830736

Al has been a big help as have some of the 1st and 2nd generation crew of the 493 and 495 boats.

Feedback appreciated.
Ed

I need to make depth charges and racks, add a pair of 30 cals on the cockpit splash shields, build a twin 50 cal and mount to locate near the port forward torpedo and make an "acey-ducey" rig for the forward 20mm.

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1830736

Here is a link to some new photos of the WIP. Still a lot to do and paint.
Ed

Hi;

My name is Gary Szot and my father (Chester T.) was a Electricians mate in RON 36. He was primarily on the 525 boat.
I have looked at all the web sites and have seen a lot of the models that have been built. I was extremely interested in RON 36 and the attention that it has gotten in the modelling realm.

The issue came up as to deck guns. My dad would tell me stories that because of the shallow draft of the Japanese barges, their torpedos were not effective. Therefore they explored "other options" as far as selecting weapons to attack these barges. Being a PT boater also required one to be a bit of a scrounger. The crew found an abandoned 37 mm canon and quickly absconded it. They removed the axle and wheels and jury rigged a mount for this canon on the bow of the 525 boat. They used palm logs to try and solidify the mount to the deck.

I actually have a picture of this as well as some other shots of this squadron.

Here is my kit partially finished. Still more to do.

She's beautiful Ed. Awesome job.

Later...Gator

Now that is a GUNBOAT !! How many did it take to crew her. Looks like you have a 37mm, a 40mm, 3 - 20 mm and three sets of twin50's as well as a 30 calibre for the skipper to shoot while steering the boat with the other hand

Thanks Gator. The star masks you made for me are working great. Tomorrow I paint the blue disk with the second part of the mask.

I sent you an e-mail through your web-site about the boat number masks. Did you get it? If not, please e-mail me at ducati650-at-comcast-dot-net

Thanks,
Ed

Thanks Steve. I think the crew was 17 or 18. BTW, you may have missed another set of .50s. Many of the boats had a pair attached to the forward 20 mm so one gunner had control of a 20mm and 2 .50s. The mounts were made locally and the ammo box holders were made to use the same ammo boxes as the main .50 cal turrets. That is why they are curved.

This is boat 495 from RON33 in the Leyte area. Many of the boats were outfitted the same. She has one 40mm, one 37mm, three 20mm, eight .50 cal and two .30 cal.

Unlike many in her squadron, she did not carry depth charges and usually only sortied with 2 torpedos. I haven't cast it yet but 495 had 2 smoke canisters.

Cheers,
Ed

I finished using Gator's Star masks to paint the blue disk. . Worked great. I also started the ammo belts and rounds.

hi graet looking model hope mine turns out as well.
as anyone seen anything regarding crew figures for this kit????
dave