Where was PT-109 sank?
In Blackett Strait, south of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands, the starless, moonless night of August 1, 1943, was profoundly dark. Inky blackness like this could have a disorienting effect, even on experienced sailors.
Are any PT-109 survivors still alive?
Zinser, Motor Machinist's Mate 1/c (MM1) (Belleville, Illinois). Erroneously called "Gerald" in many publications, Zinser remained in the Navy for a career following the end of World War II, eventually retiring as a Chief Petty Officer. The last living survivor of PT-109, he died in Florida in 2001.
Did all of the crew of PT-109 survive?
Two crew members were never seen again, but 11 who survived, all wearing life vests, managed to board what was left of PT-109. One had been badly burned and couldn't swim. Lieutenant Kennedy, who had suffered a ruptured spinal disk in the collision, had swum and towed him to the boat.
What destroyer sank PT-109?
In the early hours on August 2, 1943, PT-109 was patrolling Blackett Strait, on the southern side of Kolombangara Island, when her starboard side was rammed, cut, and severely disabled by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri.
Was PT-109 ever found?
The wreckage of PT-109 was located in May 2002, when a National Geographic Society expedition, headed by Ballard, found a torpedo tube amongst wreckage that matched the description, and location, of Kennedy's vessel in the Solomon Islands.
Is the story of PT-109 true?
On August 1, 1943, a Japanese destroyer rams an American PT (patrol torpedo) boat, No. 109, slicing it in two. The destruction is so massive other American PT boats in the area assume the crew is dead. Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt.
What did JFK do on PT-109?
Kennedy, commander of the PT-109, led his crew members to a nearby set of islands. JFK swam miles in enemy waters to try to find help. Days later, he encountered two native coastwatchers who carried a message to the Allies.
How did PT-109 get rammed?
Patrol Torpedo boat 109 was idling in Blackett Strait in the Solomon Islands. The 80-foot craft had orders to attack enemy ships on a resupply mission. With virtually no warning, a Japanese destroyer emerged from the black night and smashed into PT-109, slicing it in two and igniting its fuel tanks.
Who was XO on PT-109?
Ensign Leonard Jay Thom was the Executive Officer aboard the Motor Torpedo Boat USS PT-109. In Blackett Strait, south of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands, the starless, moonless night of August 1-2, 1943, was profoundly dark, inky blackness.
Was Kennedy a war hero?
During World War II, he commanded PT boats in the Pacific theater. Kennedy's survival following the sinking of PT-109 and his rescue of his fellow sailors made him a war hero and earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, but left him with serious injuries.
Where is JFK buried?
President Kennedy's Grave in Arlington National Cemetery.
Did PT boats sink any Japanese ships?
PT-59 (more on her later) is credited with sinking Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) submarine I-3 on December 9, 1942 near Guadalcanal. PT-37 and PT-40 sank destroyer IJN Teruzuki on the night of 11–12 December, barely three months after the Japanese had put her into service.
How fast was PT-109?
Speed 41 kts. Propulsion: Three 3,600shp Packard W-14 M2500 gasoline engines, three shafts. Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, USNR (standing at right) with other crewmen on board PT-109, 1943.
What was PT-109 made of?
Design & Construction
Launched on June 20, it was delivered to the US Navy the following month and fitted out at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Possessing a wooden hull constructed of two layers of mahogany planking, PT-109 could achieve speeds of 41 knots and was powered by three 1,500 hp Packard engines.
Did PT-109 have radar?
It is important to note that even though many ships were equipped with radar by this time, PT-109 was not one of them, so Kennedy and his crew were steaming blind as they patrolled Blackett Strait.
Was PT-109 made of wood?
PT-109 was a plywood boat measuring 80 feel in length and had a maximum beam [width] of 20 feet. Her maximum draft was six feet and she was powered by three 12-cylinder Packard engines, each of which developed 1,350 horse power. She could carry as many as four 21-inch torpedoes and originally mounted four .
Who served on PT-109?
Description: John F. Kennedy and crewmen of the PT-109. Back Row (L-R) Allan Webb, Leon Drawdy, Edgar Mauer, Edmund Drewitch, John Maguire, Lt. (jg) John F.
Who was the last survivor of the PT-109?
Gerald Zinser, 82, last surviving crewman aboard President John F. Kennedy's doomed PT 109 in the South Pacific in World War II, died Aug. 21 in Orange Park, Fla., of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
How were the survivors of PT-109 saved?
Yet Kennedy led the survivors on a swim to the nearest island, three-and-a-half miles away. The healthy men helped the wounded, aided only by a pair of wooden planks salvaged from the wreck. Engineer Patrick McMahon was badly burned in the explosion of PT-109.
How old was Cliff Robertson in PT-109?
Cliff Robertson portrays John F. Kennedy during his late-20s during World War II; Robertson was 40 years old when this film was released.
How long were the men on PT-109 stranded?
It took the 11 men four hours to reach the island. The crewmen, who later swam to a slightly larger island in search of food, were stranded for six days, living off coconuts, before they were rescued.
Are there any PT boats left?
A few (one 80' Elco, one 72' Vosper, and three 78' Higgins) were cut up and destroyed between 1998 and 2008, leaving (a known) total of 12 PT boats, and 2 experimental PT boat hulls in various states of repair, surviving today in the U.S.: PT-48. PT-48 is possibly the last surviving 77-foot (23 m) Elco PT boat.
What color was PT-109?
There was variety to the colors; PT-109 originally shipped out to the South Pacific on pre-war gray (I have photos here) but was later repainted in a tropical green that I believe was a mixture of zinc chromate and black paint.
Can you buy a PT boat?
Specialized yacht brokers, dealers, and brokerages on YachtWorld have a diverse selection of PT models for sale, with listings spanning from 1979 year models to 1986.
Were PT boats effective?
PT boats were able to challenge much larger capital ships, defend merchant shipping, attack convoys, perform scouting and reconnaissance missions, and infiltrate or exfiltrate small units and key leaders from enemy-controlled areas - all in the effort to contest sea control.
Did JFK serve in World War 2?
Commanding the Patrol Torpedo Craft (PT) USS PT 109, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, John Kennedy and his crew participated in the early campaigns in the Allies' long struggle to roll back the Japanese from their conquests throughout the island chains of the Pacific Ocean.
Who tried to save JFK?
And that Secret Service agent, Clint Hill, today 91, is coming to terms with being the man who tried to save the president. "Before Dallas, I was known as just Clint Hill," Hill told Radio Diaries. "After that, I've been known as the man who climbed onto the president's car.
How old was JFK in ww2?
Kennedy was a 26-year-old Naval Lieutenant at the helm of a Patrol Torpedo (PT) boat tasked with a nearly impossible mission, to torpedo Japanese destroyers on supply runs to soldiers fighting Allied forces nearby.
Was Kennedy a cold warrior?
Kennedy spoke often and clearly about the threat Communism posed to the United States and free nations everywhere. He emphasized foreign policy and the Cold War in his inaugural address in 1961. He was an articulate Cold Warrior before he became an outspoken civil rights advocate.
What happened to Jackie's pink suit?
The garment is now stored out of public view in the National Archives. It will not be seen by the public until at least 2103, according to a deed of Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy's sole surviving heir. At that time, when the 100-year deed expires, the Kennedy family descendants will renegotiate the matter.
Did Queen Elizabeth attend JFK funeral?
Her attendance would detract from the focus, but Prince Philip attended in her place. She was also pregnant with Prince Edward at the time.
Who is JFK buried next to?
Kennedy was buried in an adjacent plot after his death in August 2009. There is a memorial marker for JFK's eldest brother, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Former first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was laid to rest next to President Kennedy on May 23, 1994.
What happened to the crew of PT 109?
The destroyer, later identified as the Amagiri, struck PT 109 just forward of the forward starboard torpedo tube, ripping away the starboard aft side of the boat. The impact tossed Kennedy around the cockpit. Most of the crew were knocked into the water.
Did the Germans have PT boats?
The German torpedo boats of World War II were armed principally, if not exclusively, with torpedoes and varied widely in size. They were not small schnellboote (known to the Allies as E-boats) but small seagoing vessels, the larger of which were comparable to destroyers.
Did any Japanese ships survive WWII?
Nagato survived the battle, retreating to Japan to be refitted for coastal defense. She also escaped serious damage from an Allied air attack in July of 1945 and was the only Japanese battleship to survive the war.
Is the story of PT-109 true?
On August 1, 1943, a Japanese destroyer rams an American PT (patrol torpedo) boat, No. 109, slicing it in two. The destruction is so massive other American PT boats in the area assume the crew is dead. Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt.
Was the movie PT-109 accurate?
"PT-109" qualifies as much as a thrilling World War II adventure as it does a publicity stunt for JFK. Basically, the facts are correct, but Warner Brothers has tampered with the timeline. When JFK was dispatched to rescue the Marines off the beach, PT-109 had been rammed and sunk, and he was skipper of PT-59.
Was there a real pt73?
The real PT-73 was a 78-foot Higgins boat assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13, which saw service in the Aleutians and in the Southwest Pacific theater. On 15 January, 1945 it ran aground, and was destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.
Did everyone survive PT-109?
Two crew members were never seen again, but 11 who survived, all wearing life vests, managed to board what was left of PT-109. One had been badly burned and couldn't swim.
Who was XO on PT-109?
Ensign Leonard Jay Thom was the Executive Officer aboard the Motor Torpedo Boat USS PT-109. In Blackett Strait, south of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands, the starless, moonless night of August 1-2, 1943, was profoundly dark, inky blackness.
Was JFK on the PT-109?
Kennedy, commander of the PT-109, led his crew members to a nearby set of islands. JFK swam miles in enemy waters to try to find help. Days later, he encountered two native coastwatchers who carried a message to the Allies.
What did JFK's coconut say?
On Aug. 6, 1943, Kennedy carved a message into a green coconut that read, “NAURO ISL… COMMANDER… NATIVE KNOWS POS'IT…
What date did PT-109 sink?
Since the pitch-black night of 1-2 August 1943, when the Japanese destroyer Amagiri rammed and sank the PT-109, debate has flared over precisely what happened.
Where is PT 59?
But there was not enough time. The destroyer, later identified as the Amagiri, the escort ship of the Express, struck PT-109 just forward of the forward starboard torpedo tube, ripping away the starboard aft side of the boat.
How was PT-109 sunk?
PT-59 (more on her later) is credited with sinking Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) submarine I-3 on December 9, 1942 near Guadalcanal. PT-37 and PT-40 sank destroyer IJN Teruzuki on the night of 11–12 December, barely three months after the Japanese had put her into service.
Did PT boats sink any Japanese ships?
PT-109 was a plywood boat measuring 80 feel in length and had a maximum beam [width] of 20 feet. Her maximum draft was six feet and she was powered by three 12-cylinder Packard engines, each of which developed 1,350 horse power. She could carry as many as four 21-inch torpedoes and originally mounted four .
Was PT-109 made of wood?
Yet Kennedy led the survivors on a swim to the nearest island, three-and-a-half miles away. The healthy men helped the wounded, aided only by a pair of wooden planks salvaged from the wreck. Engineer Patrick McMahon was badly burned in the explosion of PT-109.
How were the survivors of PT-109 saved?
In the early hours on August 2, 1943, PT-109 was patrolling Blackett Strait, on the southern side of Kolombangara Island, when her starboard side was rammed, cut, and severely disabled by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri.
What destroyer sank PT-109?
John Kennedy's PT boat was cut in two by a Japanese warship. More than 1,000 people were part of the overflow crowd at the PT Boat Museum in Fall River's Battleship Cove to honor the two men who died during the PT-109 incident and all other crewmen of PT boats who didn't survive the war.
How many crew members died on PT-109?
It took the 11 men four hours to reach the island. The crewmen, who later swam to a slightly larger island in search of food, were stranded for six days, living off coconuts, before they were rescued.
How long were the men on PT-109 stranded?
How many PT boats survived?
When did PT-109 sink?
What ever happened to Cliff Robertson?
Did PT boats sink any Japanese warships?
How many surviving PT boats are there?
Did US PT boats sink any Japanese ships?
Since the pitch-black night of 1-2 August 1943, when the Japanese destroyer Amagiri rammed and sank the PT-109, debate has flared over precisely what happened.
How long were the men on PT-109 stranded?
Originally conceived as anti-ship weapons, PT boats were publicly credited with sinking several Japanese warships during the period between December 1941 and the fall of the Philippines in May 1942—even though the Navy knew the claims were all false.