Japanese SNLF Marines at Kadoorie Pier in Tuen Mun boarding Motor Torpedo Boats for the upcoming operation to occupy Tsing Yi and Lantau Island during the early stages of the Battle of Hong Kong.
I wonder if those in the photo were torpedo boats. Looks like walla walla size transport boats to me. My imagination of MTBs would be a bit bigger, at least longer then the torpedoes. On the other hand, no torpedoes were visible. If they were using type 91s, they were around 18 feet long, more or less, and weigh a lot.
Japan used small coastal attack craft during World War II, most notably the Type T-14, Type T-25, and the suicide-focused Shinyo-class MTB.
Japanese Motor Torpedo Boat Classes
Type T-14: The most numerous Japanese MTB; about 50 feet long, 15 tons, 1 engine (920 hp), top speed of 33 knots, armed with one 25mm cannon and two 45.7cm torpedoes.
Type T-25: A slightly larger variant measuring 60 feet long and 25 tons, featuring a cruising engine alongside the main engine for a top speed of 21.5 knots.
Shinyo-class: One-man explosive motorboats meant for suicide attacks against enemy landing craft, carrying a 270–300 kg charge at speeds up to 23 knots.
Equip in general
A pair of turrets with 7.7mm machine guns
Two 457mm torpedoes capable of delivering 110 kg of explosives to a distance of up to four kilometres
Probably not Type 14 as the Japanese had not been using them until the latter stage of WW II (according to a wiki entry somewhere I read).
Not quite type 25 either as those in the photo were not as big. With the human figures on deck, I still believe the boats shown were walla walla size unarmed (say, maybe just with machine guns) transport instead of suggested milited boats like type 25.
Those in the photo were also comparable to those present day pilot launches designed/produced by Choy Lei.
Mid-20th-century motor torpedo boats (such as standard World War II PT boats or similar designs) featured distinct technical parameters:
Hull Type: Fast planing or semi-planing hull designed to skim across water.
Length: Typically around 68 to 80 feet (21 to 24 meters).
Powerplant: High-output internal combustion petrol engines (often marinized aircraft engines) or later high-performance diesels.
Speed: 40 to 48 knots (46 to 55 mph / 74 to 89 km/h) depending on load.
Armament: Torpedo tubes (typically 21-inch), heavy machine guns, and small autocannons.
Hongkong walla walla boat specification
A Hong Kong Walla-Walla boat is a small, traditional motorized water taxi with no formal standardized blueprint specs, characterized by a sampan-style wooden or early fiberglass hull, an open or semi-covered seating layout, and a noisy petrol engine.
General Characteristics
Vessel Type: Motorized sampan / water taxi
Capacity: Typically seated 8 to 20 passengers (historically up to 30 when crowded)
Hull Material: Traditionally wood, later adapted with basic composite/fiberglass elements
Propulsion: Small inboard/outboard petrol engine known for a loud, rhythmic "walla-walla" exhaust sound on the water
Comments
MTB at Kadoorie Pier
Japanese SNLF Marines at Kadoorie Pier in Tuen Mun boarding Motor Torpedo Boats for the upcoming operation to occupy Tsing Yi and Lantau Island during the early stages of the Battle of Hong Kong.
Re: MTB?
Hi there,
I wonder if those in the photo were torpedo boats. Looks like walla walla size transport boats to me. My imagination of MTBs would be a bit bigger, at least longer then the torpedoes. On the other hand, no torpedoes were visible. If they were using type 91s, they were around 18 feet long, more or less, and weigh a lot.
T
Japanese Motor Torpedo Boat Classes
Japan used small coastal attack craft during World War II, most notably the Type T-14, Type T-25, and the suicide-focused Shinyo-class MTB.
Japanese Motor Torpedo Boat Classes
Type T-14: The most numerous Japanese MTB; about 50 feet long, 15 tons, 1 engine (920 hp), top speed of 33 knots, armed with one 25mm cannon and two 45.7cm torpedoes.
Type T-25: A slightly larger variant measuring 60 feet long and 25 tons, featuring a cruising engine alongside the main engine for a top speed of 21.5 knots.
Shinyo-class: One-man explosive motorboats meant for suicide attacks against enemy landing craft, carrying a 270–300 kg charge at speeds up to 23 knots.
Equip in general
A pair of turrets with 7.7mm machine guns
Two 457mm torpedoes capable of delivering 110 kg of explosives to a distance of up to four kilometres
Re: Type 14
Hi there,
Probably not Type 14 as the Japanese had not been using them until the latter stage of WW II (according to a wiki entry somewhere I read).
Not quite type 25 either as those in the photo were not as big. With the human figures on deck, I still believe the boats shown were walla walla size unarmed (say, maybe just with machine guns) transport instead of suggested milited boats like type 25.
Those in the photo were also comparable to those present day pilot launches designed/produced by Choy Lei.
T
MTB vs Walla Walla
Motor Torpedo Boat Specifications
Mid-20th-century motor torpedo boats (such as standard World War II PT boats or similar designs) featured distinct technical parameters:
Hongkong walla walla boat specification
A Hong Kong Walla-Walla boat is a small, traditional motorized water taxi with no formal standardized blueprint specs, characterized by a sampan-style wooden or early fiberglass hull, an open or semi-covered seating layout, and a noisy petrol engine.
General Characteristics
Japanese MTBs in World War II
May be Type 1, plesae refer to the following URL
https://www.ptboatworld.com/PT_Boat_Info/JapaneseMTBs.htm