Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59

History
United States
Name:	PT-59
Builder:	Electric Launch Company, Bayonne, New Jersey
Laid down:	26 July 1941
Launched:	8 October 1941
Completed:	5 March 1942
Fate:	Sold, 1947 Sunk, 1976
General characteristics
Class and type:	Elco 77-foot PT boat
Displacement:	40 long tons (41 t)
Length:	77 ft (23 m)
Beam:	19 ft 11 in (6.07 m)
Draft:	4 ft 6 in (1.37 m)
Propulsion:	3 × 1,500 shp (1,119 kW) Packard V12 M2500 gasoline engines, 3 shafts
Speed:	41 knots (76 km/h; 47 mph)
Complement:	15
Armament:	As built: 4 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedoes 2 × twin .50 cal. M2 Browning machine guns in Dewandre turrets 2 × .303 cal. Lewis guns As PT Gunboat: 2 × twin .50 cal. M2 Browning machine guns in Dewandre turrets 2 × 40 mm guns (fore and aft) 4 × single .30 and .50 cal. machine guns
Service record
Part of:	MTB Squadron 4 (July 1941-May 1942) MTB Squadron 2 (May 1942-August 1944)
Commanders:	Lt. David M. Levy (May 1942-October 1943) Lt. John F. Kennedy (October 1943-November 1943)

Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59 was a PT-20-class motor torpedo boat of the United States Navy, built by the Electric Launch Company of Bayonne, New Jersey. The boat was laid down as Motor Boat Submarine Chaser PTC-27, and was reclassified as BPT-11 when assigned to transfer to Britain under Lend-Lease. However, this was cancelled, and she was reclassified as PT-59 prior to launch on 8 October 1941, and was completed on 5 March 1942. She is noted for being the third command of then-Lieutenant, junior grade (LTJG) John F. Kennedy (who later became President of the United States) in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

PT-59 was first assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Four, the training squadron based at Melville, Rhode Island. On 9 April 1942 it accidentally fired a torpedo which hit the supply ship USS Capella, causing eight injuries, but no deaths.

It was transferred to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two on 7 May 1942. At the end of May 1942, Ensign David M. Levy took over PT-59 and the Squadron was sent to Panama. They were to guard the canal and the Central and South American coast on anti-submarine duty. In October 1942 PT-59 departed for the South Pacific on board the Liberty ship SS Roger Williams. In November 1942 PT-59 arrived at the Solomons with MTB Squadron 2, numbering 8 boats. The Squadron was based at Sesapi on Tulagi Island.

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