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 PT-109 really happen?
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.
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.
How historically accurate is the movie PT-109?
"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.
What caused PT-109 to sink?
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.
Why did PT-109 sink?
Accounts vary, but the crew of the PT-109 apparently at first mistook the Japanese destroyer Amagiri (here, as she looked in the late 1930s) as another PT-boat—until 30 seconds later, when they braced for the ramming that would sink them.
How many died on 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 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.
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.
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 was PT-109 found?
Details. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 1985.
Could a PT boat sink a battleship?
No capital ship was sunk in WW2 by a motor torpedo boat/PT boat but one Dreadnought Battleship was sunk by an Italian motor torpedo boat in WW1. SMS Svent Istavan of the Austro Hungarian Navy a Dreadnought of 21000 tons was torpedoed and sunk by the 30 ton torpedo boat MAS-15 the sinking was filmed.
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.
Did JFK serve in WWII?
Kennedy Presidential Library marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II with a special exhibit on John F. Kennedy's military service in the US Navy in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Many young Americans of all backgrounds volunteered for military service in 1941, including young John F. Kennedy.
Was John F. Kennedy a captain of 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.
Where is JFK buried?
President Kennedy's Grave in Arlington National Cemetery.
Did PT boats sink any Japanese ships?
Though few PTs sank major Japanese ships, they enjoyed more success in other operations, including reconnaissance and search and rescue. The boats often harassed and broke up Japanese barge traffic, earning the nickname “devil boats” among the enemy.
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 tried to save JFK?
Secret Service agent Clint Hill rides on the back of the presidential limousine moments after President John F. Kennedy was shot on Nov. 22, 1963.
Was JFK a tragic hero?
Some would say John Kennedy was a tragic hero, much like the tragic heroes of Greek literature and Shakespearean plays. Kennedy was neither Achilles nor Hamlet. He was a man who through sheer force of personality and conviction motivated and excited people. He moved a nation.
Who was the youngest U.S. president?
Age of presidents
The youngest person to become U.S. president was Theodore Roosevelt, who, at age 42, succeeded to the office after the assassination of William McKinley. The oldest person inaugurated president was Joe Biden, at age 78.
What happened to pt59?
PT-59 is not to be confused with PT-109. It was an 80-foot ship that Kennedy skippered after PT-109 sank. It was sold as surplus after the war and changed hands many times before it was abandoned and sank in the river's north cove.
Where did the PT-109 sink?
John F. Kennedy was a real hero during World War II. He was the captain of PT 109, which suffered a devastating attack amid the Solomon Islands on August 2, 1943. Two crew members lost their lives when the boat was struck by a Japanese destroyer.
How many PT boats were lost in WWII?
At the end of WW2, of the 531 patrol torpedo boats built, only 69 were lost, including losses to enemy fire, storms, accidents, friendly fire, or simply being worn out.
Was there a real pt73?
The real-life PT-73 was finished on August 12, 1942 by Higgins Industries, Iinc., New Orleans. It was 78 feet (24 m) long, weighed 56 tons and had a top speed of 40 knots. It was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13 under the command of Commander James B. Denny, USN.
What happened to the PT-109 crew on August 1 1943?
Most of the crew were knocked or fell into the water. The one man below decks, engineer Patrick McMahon, miraculously escaped, although he was badly burned by exploding fuel. Fear that PT-109 would go up in flames drove Kennedy to order the men who still remained on the wreck to abandon ship.
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.
What happened to the crew of PT-109?
Eventually sinking, her eleven survivors abandoned the boat, with Kennedy towing one of the crew and ensuring the men returned to the PT Base at Rendova. Kennedy would receive the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroism and become the 35th President of the United States, 1961-63.
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 a PT boat ever sink a submarine?
How many ships did PT boats sink in WW2? 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.
Were there PT boats in Europe?
By the last patrol on the night of April 28, 1945, American PT boats had been fighting in the coastal waters of North Africa, Italy, and France for two years. During that period, they fired 354 torpedoes, claiming 38 vessels totaling 23,700 tons sunk.
Were PT boats used in Europe?
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 ofthe war.
Were PT boats gas or diesel?
The Elco boats were the largest in size of the three types of PT boats built for U.S. use during World War II. Wooden-hulled, 80 feet long with a 20-foot, 8-inch beam, the Elco PT boats had three 12-cylinder Packard gasoline engines generating a total of 4,500 horsepower for a designed speed of 41 knots.
How fast was a WWII PT boat?
Engines. PT-109 was powered by three 12-cylinder 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) Packard 4M-2500 marinized aero gasoline engines (one per propeller shaft), with a designed top speed of 41 knots (76 km/h; 47 mph).
What replaced PT boats?
Their role was replaced in the U.S. Navy by fast attack craft.
Were PT boats made of wood?
One of the most notable types of wooden crafts was the PT or Motor Torpedo Boat. This small, fast craft would race at the enemy to launch torpedoes before making a hasty retreat. The complex curves of the boat's hull would have been very difficult to manufacture from steel.
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.
Has the USS Tang been found?
The USS TANG is located off the mainland coast of China near Oksu and Turnabout Islands. She lies in 180 feet of water, but has never "officially" been found.
Were PT boats used in Vietnam?
This is the inside story of Operation 34A and the Nasty Class PT Boats – and the crews that manned them during the Vietnam War. Most Americans consider that our involvement in the Vietnamese War began with the Tonkin Gulf incident.
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.
Is PT-109 movie accurate?
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.
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.
How many of the PT-109 crew survived the war?
Was Kennedy a war hero?
How many died on PT-109?
Did Nixon fight in ww2?
How were the survivors of PT-109 saved?
Are there any PT boats left?
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.