Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY) was a U.S. military base located in the
Port of New York and New Jersey which operated from 1942 to 1999. The site is on
Upper New York Bay south of
Port Jersey on the eastern side of
Bayonne,
New Jersey.
History
In 1932, a basic plan was initiated to build a port terminal off the east coast of Bayonne into the bay to create additional industrial, maritime, and distribution space. After he plan was completed in 1939, dredging and filling began. At the outbreak of war, the Navy was looking for a location for a port on the
East Coast and became interested in the site for a large dry-dock and supply center. The Bayonne military base was opened by the Navy in 1942 as a logistics and repair base, well connected to the transportation network of the
Northeast Corridor.
During
World War II, the
Elco Naval Division produced nearly 400 Elco
PT boats for the U.S. Navy. After experimentation, the first PT boat built in any quantity was the type. Later and types were built. More Elco boats were built than any other type of US motor
torpedo boat. The most notable PT boat was
PT-109, commanded by future president
John F. Kennedy. In the film
PT 109, the "Elco" script logo can be seen on the cockpit throttle housing in several scenes.
After the war MOTBY became port for part of the
Atlantic......
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