Built in New Orleans by Higgins Industries, the patrol-torpedo (PT) boat PT-305 was a critical asset for the US Navy during World War II, serving in European waters from 1944 to the end of the war. Heavily armed, equipped with advanced technology, uniquely maneuverable, often ingeniously modified, and reliant on cooperation and teamwork, PT boats were a perfect naval expression of the American spirit at war. With small crews within collaborative 12-ship squadrons, they were also the home to a colorful collection of Navy sailors and a dramatic backdrop for moving personal stories of war, including the trials of cramped quarters, the terrifying thrill of combat, and humorous tales of shore-leave escapades.

Following her wartime service, PT-305 served as a New York tour boat, a fishing charter, and an oyster boat, undergoing modifications along the way: new, less-costly engines; several new paint jobs; and a dramatic reduction in length. When she was acquired by The National WWII Museum, PT-305 was in dry dock in Galveston, Texas, and in serious disrepair. In April 2007, accompanied by Museum curators, PT-305 found her way back to The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, where volunteers worked for a decade to restore PT-305 to her former glory and eventually return her to the waters of Lake Pontchartrain, where she was originally tested by Higgins Industries.

From 2017 through 2020, passenger rides were offered aboard PT-305 to connect today’s generations to the WWII story through direct, authentic experiences with an authentic macro-artifact operating as she did during the war. PT-305 returned to the Museum’s campus in 2024, where she is on permanent display for visitors to observe the fully restored vessel up close and learn of her wartime crew members and tours of duty.