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Comments  from "Ancient Mariner", Las Vegas, NV

[Russ has spent a good share of his Navy time with the PTFs ]

7/22/99
Good Morning
I am surprised that someone remembers the "Nasty" class boats.  They were not the most effective fighting system ever developed .   More trouble with the Napier Deltic engines than you could believe.   We used to call them the "blow up, or frag queens".

As for the Osprey class boats. (I) have done my time on them also, the last being PTF-26, hence my web name "seadog-26", seadog, being the military call sign of all PT boats since WW2 .  And again they were plagued by the ever popular Napier Deltic time bombs that propelled them .

I have a few pics left of the 26 boat, and have a fair idea what became of the other three Osprey class boats (there were only 4 ever constructed)   The Osprey class never made it to Viet Nam. but did get as far as Subic Bay, before returning to the U.S.  . At that  time, the 23 and 25 boat went to Little Creek on the East coast and the 24 and 26 boat were stationed  in San Diego (Coronado) spec warfare.   The 24 boat was partially salvaged to make the 26 boat operational, and was eventually sunk as a target.   The 26 boat led  a very checkered career, being obtained by a private company in Oregon , re-fitted for a Robert Culp movie, which never came to pass, and subsequently went to Port Hueneme,  Ca. and did testing and range security work for the Pacific missile test range. That's where I left her and continued on with my life .

The 23 and 25 boat become a little more involved.  Research indicates that one of them was sunk as a target, however the other one was allegedly acquired by a governmental agency, cut in half, 25 feet added, and a water jet propulsion system added.  The story is that 2 , 5000 hp water jets were put in her, but the boat just drops from sight at that point, and no more info could be found concerning  where she went or what she did , or her eventual fate.

You have a great site, keep up the work !  Not much was known about these boats, and it would be a shame if all the info, intrigue and sea stories concerning them  just dropped from sight. I know that there must be others that remember the boats and have some good info on them.

Thanks for the "E" and waiting to hear more from you.
......................................Russ


7/22/99
Hey Dan
Thanks for the reply. No objection to the PTF stories, but I could get a lot more detailed about the 26 boat and the ops in California ( and all the grief that went with it ) I do have a few pics left, but a bad divorce, and a little fire in the front yard took care of all my Nam stuff , and a lotta pics of the 26.

I'm on web tv, so some of the stuff on my "E" mail wont show on your screen. I have to have my pics scanned, and am in the process of having that done. When complete, I will send some your way.

Take care Dan
Russ