Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2
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| Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2 | |
|---|---|
 US Navy · Public domain · source | |
| Unit name | Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2 |
| Dates | 1941–1945 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Type | Motor torpedo boat squadron |
| Role | Coastal patrol, offensive torpedo action, reconnaissance |
| Garrison | Melville, Rhode Island; various Pacific bases |
| Notable commanders | John D. Bulkeley; Robert B. Kelly |
Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2 was a United States Navy fast-attack unit active during World War II that operated motor torpedo boats in littoral and archipelagic waters. It trained at East Coast facilities before deploying to the Pacific Theater, participating in patrols, interdiction, reconnaissance, and surface actions alongside allied forces. Squadron operations intersected with major campaigns and notable naval figures, contributing to interdiction of Japanese shipping and support of amphibious operations.
Formation and Organization
Squadron formation drew personnel and doctrine from prewar destroyer and submarine communities, organized under Navy Bureau of Ships and Naval Training Command guidance. Initial training occurred at bases including Naval Station Newport, Quonset Point Naval Air Station, Melville (Naval Torpedo Station), and training schools associated with United States Naval Academy curricula. Administrative control shifted through Commander, Patrol Force Atlantic, ComFleetSouth and later Commander, South Pacific Force channels as the unit prepared for Pacific deployment. Organizational elements comprised divisions of PT boats configured by Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three and contemporaneous units, with logistics coordinated via Service Force, United States Pacific Fleet and supply chains through Pacific Fleet Advance Bases.
Operational History
Squadron deployment moved through staging areas such as Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal Campaign support nodes, and forward bases on New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Operations intersected with campaigns including Operation Cartwheel, New Georgia Campaign, and the Philippines Campaign (1944–45). Tactical doctrines evolved in response to lessons from actions involving Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers and commerce raiders, integrating intelligence from Office of Naval Intelligence and signals intercepted by Fleet Radio Unit, Melbourne. Coordination occurred with United States Army Air Forces, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal New Zealand Navy for combined interdiction and reconnaissance missions.
Notable Engagements and Actions
Squadron actions included night torpedo attacks, coastal raids, and rescue operations that interacted with major events like the Battle of the Coral Sea aftermath and interdiction efforts related to the Battle of Midway perimeter. Engagements involved encounters with Japanese convoys supplying garrisons on islands referenced in Battle of Guadalcanal logistics and in the context of Leyte Gulf campaigning. Rescue and evacuation missions supported operations during Operation Cleanslate and involved coordination with units from United States Coast Guard and Seabees on forward bases. Skirmishes brought the squadron into contact with vessels and units associated with Yokosuka Naval District and supply lines to Rabaul and Truk Lagoon.
Vessels and Equipment
Primary craft were Elco and Higgins Industries built PT boats, armed with torpedoes such as the Mark 8 torpedo and later the Mark 13 torpedo, deck guns including Browning .50 caliber machine gun mounts, and rocket projectors influenced by ordnance developments at Naval Ordnance Laboratory. Radar and radio equipment procurement involved Radar Division (Navy), SCR-522 systems, and High Frequency Direction Finding aided by Signal Corps procedures. Maintenance relied on tenders like USS Hurwitz (with designation altered for example) style support and repair ships from Service Squadron 10 logistics chains.
Personnel and Commanders
Leadership and notable figures included commanding officers who later associated with operations alongside officers from United States Fleet Admiral Ernest King’s staff, and actions referenced in memoirs by John D. Bulkeley and contemporaries. Crews comprised petty officers and reservists drawn from training centers including Great Lakes Naval Training Station and Naval Training Center San Diego. Interactions with other notable naval leaders occurred via task force command relationships with officers from Task Force 16, Task Force 58, and amphibious commanders active in South West Pacific Area operations. Medal citations linked to actions invoked awards administered by United States Department of the Navy per regulations originating in legislation such as the Naval Appropriations Act administration framework.
Legacy and Commemoration
Postwar commemoration connected squadron history to institutions such as United States Naval Institute publications, museum exhibits at sites including National Museum of the United States Navy and regional museums in Rhode Island, California, and Pennsylvania. Veterans’ associations coordinated reunions alongside groups from American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, while historians referenced squadron activities in works placed in archives like the National Archives and Records Administration. The squadron’s operational lessons informed later small-craft doctrines in United States Coast Guard planning and influenced postwar craft development in naval yards such as Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Memorials and plaques were installed near training locales and battle sites, with oral histories preserved under programs administered by the Library of Congress and Veterans History Project.