78' Higgins PT boat

The 78' Higgins PT boat was small combat vessel used by British special forces during World War II, and appears in Hidden & Dangerous 2.

Description
The 78' Higgins is a gun boat used for patrol and offensive operations. The vessel is capable of achieving great speeds on water of up to 41 knots. It is armed with two Browning M1919A4 twins used for ship to ship, ship to land, and ship to air engagements. The vessel measures 23.9 meters in length, 6.1 meters in beam, 1.6 meters in draught and weighs in at 43 tons. The vessel has an open upper deck and cockpit with an enclosed lower deck for storage of ammunition, supplies and crew accomodation. The vessel is operated mainly by eleven men, but can be controlled by a smaller crew of around four men in emergency situations.

History
The idea of using small armed vessel for commando operations was conceived long before World War II. The 78' Higgins PT boat in particular, originated in the United States in the early 1930s. Before the war broke out, Britain purchased several of these vessels from the United States, and used as small battle units for patrol and support. With the formation of the Royal Commandoes in early 1941, the 78' Higgins became a popular vessel for covert operations, and proved a worthy opponent of the Kriegsmarine's small battle units and proficient strike and extraction craft.

In Game
The 78' Higgins appears first during Operation Snowball - Rendezvous, in which it is operated by a American Commando Team. After boarding the vessel with the Spitfire pilot, the vessel is then operated by the SAS team and departs the docks for the iceberg. During Operation Snowball - Iceberg. The 78' Higgins PT boat that appears in Hidden & Dangerous 2 is not very accessable. Players are only able to access the upper deck and operate the machine guns. The lower deck, cockpit and engine compartments are inaccessable.

Appearances

 * Operation Snowball - Rendezvous
 * Operation Snowball - Iceberg