20. The debate over PT boats continued throughout the war
PT Boats were used during the slow withdrawal in the Philippines early in the war. Commanded by Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, PT boats were used to harass the enemy and evacuated General MacArthur and his family to Australia. Bulkeley greatly exaggerated the effectiveness of the boats during the campaign, making claims of kills which were later proved false. For example, he claimed PT boats under his command sank a cruiser, a sea-plane tender, and a troopship during the campaign. Senior Navy officials knew the claims were false, but allowed them to stand because they boosted morale and were an aid in recruiting volunteers.
PT boat operations against the parade of Japanese warships known as the Tokyo Express during the Guadalcanal and Solomons campaigns were not particularly effective. But they were highly effective against Japanese barges which provided reinforcements and supplies to their island garrisons. They also proved useful in recovering downed airmen and in rescuing trapped troops. Their torpedo problems were resolved by the beginning of 1944. Later in the war, some boats were armed with rockets, giving them a weapon equivalent to the five-inch guns mounted on most American destroyers. About 100 PT boats were lost during World War II in all theaters, eight of them from being rammed by an enemy vessel.
