Crash boats of World War II

US boats came from the observation of British experience with high-speed launches (HSL) by the Royal Air Force Marine Branch during the Battle of Britain.

[1][2][3][4] By the end of World War II, America had produced 300,000 planes, creating a need to have crash rescue boats stationed around the globe.

The design was similar to patrol boats built for the war, but with less or no armament and first aid equipped.

Some were stationed on the West Coast of the United States to support the vast training centers.

Many were designated Air Rescue Boats or ARB or AVR or P or C or R Hull classification symbol.

[6][7][8] The 42-foot crash rescue boat was built for the Army Air Forces Air-Sea-Rescue teams.

Design 314 was powered by two 630-horsepower (470 kW) Hall-Scott Defender V12 petrol engines with a top speed of 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph).

[10][11] A few 63-foot boats were built post World War II, noted as Mark 2, 3, and 3 models.

[14] Model 168 was built for US Navy with two 1250-hp Packard 4M-2500 marine engines for a top speed of 48 knots (55 mph).

The 140 built 85-foot (26 m) crash boats are powered with two 1,500-hp (1,100-kW) Packard Marine 4M-2500 engines, with a top speed of 40 knots (74-km/h; 46-mph), and a range of 2,500 miles.

The ASR-85s had a crew of 12 men: one master, two engineers, one first mate, one navigator, one radio operator, three Able seaman, one oiler, one Emergency medical technician, and one cook.

ASR-85s were built by 14 shipyards: Wilmington Boat Works in Wilmington, California, Peterson Builders and Simms Bros. in Dorchester, Boston, Herreshoff Manufacturing in Bristol, Rhode Island, Burger Boat in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Dooley's Basin & Dry Dock in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Cambridge Shipbuilding in Cambridge, Maryland; Daytona Beach Boat Works in Daytona Beach, Florida; Eddy Shipbuilding in Bay City, Michigan; Henry B. Nevins, Incorporated in City Island, Bronx; Peterson, Julius in Nyack, New York; Robinson Marine in Benton Harbor, Michigan; Truscott Boat & Dock Co. in St. Joseph, Michigan and Fellows & Stewart in San Pedro, California.

The boats have a length of 104 ft (32 m), powered by three 625 hp (466 kW) Kermath V12 engines, and included 3 screws.

Some 104-foot boats worked in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands; these had cold weather options installed.

MV Christmas Seal, which was one of these boats during World War II, was converted into a medical ship for Canada, and was an oceanographic platform until its sinking in 1976.

[34][35][36][37][38] The United States Coast Guard operated 83-foot patrol boats, which were also used in rescue work.

The Hall Scott Defender is a straight-six engine with overhead valves and two spark plugs per cylinder.

To keep weight down this was an aluminum block with steel cylinder sleeves, each weighing 2,900 pounds.