What color were PT boats?
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.
How did PT-109 get rammed?
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 the PT-109 ever found?
The wreck of PT-109 was found by Robert Ballard in 2002 in 1,300 feet of water in Blackett Strait between Gizo and Kolombongara Islands in the Solomons, not far from where it was rammed by the Japanese destroyer IJN Amagiri at about 02:27 on August 2, 1943.
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 .
What color were WWII PT Boats?
Once the boats reached the Philippines, they were repainted in Measure 1, which was overall Overall Dark Gray (No. 5-D). At some point, probably in early 1942, at some point in April 1942, the Ron 3 boats were painted in some shade of green.
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.
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 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.
How did the PT-109 crew survive?
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 destroyer hit PT-109?
During the night of August 1 into the second in 1943, the 80-foot boat was struck in the South Pacific by a Japanese destroyer, the Amagiri. The PT boat itself was destroyed.
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.
Do any PT boats still exist?
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.
Who built PT-109?
Patrol torpedo boat PT-109
Can you buy a PT boat?
Builders
Was PT 73 a real 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.
Did PT boats sink any Japanese ships?
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.
Did the Germans have PT boats?
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?
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.
Where did PT-109 sink?
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.
Where was PT-109 found?
PT-59's legacy has long been overshadowed by the Kennedy's first wartime boat, PT-109. Sunk off the coast of the Solomon Islands in August 1943, the ship endures in popular imagination thanks to the then-25-year-old lieutenant's heroic efforts following the crash.
Was JFK on PT-109?
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.
Were PT boats effective?
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.
Who served on PT-109?
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.
Was Kennedy a war hero?
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.
How many crew members died on PT-109?
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.
How fast was a PT boat?
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.
Did JFK serve in WWII?
Constructed of mahogany, plywood, and much glue, and lacking armor, each boat had a 12-to-17–man crew and three 12-cylinder, 1,350-horsepower Packard engines. Maximum speed was 40 knots. Highly maneuverable, a standard PT boat had a cruising range of about 500 miles and was armed with four .
What happened to pt59?
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.
Are torpedo boats still used?
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 is JFK buried?
No, unless they are firing anti-submarine torpedoes. The modern successor to the MTB is the MPB - the Missile Patrol Boat. Various nations, mostly smaller ones, use high speed missile patrol boats.
How big was a PT boat?
President Kennedy's Grave in Arlington National Cemetery.
What date did PT-109 sink?
Two basic and distinctly different types of PT Boats were built for combat with the predominant PT, the 80-foot long "Elco" boat, and the slightly smaller 78-foot long "Higgins” boat. By the end of World War II, 399 Elco PTs had been built. Higgins built 199 or 205 PTs, depending on which figures are used.
What is the fastest destroyer ever?
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.
Why did PT-109 sink?
The Le Fantasque-class ships were designed to counter the fast Italian Condottieri-class light cruisers and Le Terrible set a world record for a ship with a conventional hull of 45.02 knots (83.38 km/h; 51.81 mph).
What caused PT-109 to sink?
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.
Where is the PT-109 coconut?
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 a PT boat ever sink a submarine?
The JFK Library is part of the US National Archive and contains a wealth of documents, photographs and media (JFK was the first truly electronic media savvy President) as well as an object collection which includes the 'President's rescue coconut': The coconut shell on which he scratched a message for two Solomon ...
Were PT boats used in Europe?
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.
What replaced PT boats?
PT boats were also active in several areas of the European and Mediterranean Theaters. The U.S. Navy shipped a number of PT boats to Great Britain and the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease program.
Is the PT-109 story true?
Their role was replaced in the U.S. Navy by fast attack craft.
Are any PT-109 survivors still alive?
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 PT-109 ever found?
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.
How many PT boats were lost in WW2?
Now, Bob Ballard — the man who located the Titanic — has discovered the remains of PT 109, 1,200 feet down on the bottom of the Pacific. Leading an expedition funded by the National Geographic Society, Ballard, who grew up on Cape Cod where Kennedy often vacationed, found an old torpedo and its rusted launching tube.
Were PT boats wooden?
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.
What is the most famous PT boat?
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.
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.
Were PT boats used in Vietnam War?
PTFs were the Vietnam War's version of the famous PT boats used in World War II. They were heavily armed, near-coastal gunboats, used mostly by special forces. PTF-26 is the last of only four Osprey-class PTFs, which were bigger and had aluminum hulls. PTF-26 is the final PTF and the last U.S. PT boat ever built.
Did PT boats have radar?
The PT Boats during World War II were equipped with radar which helped in locating and destroying enemy ships. "One thing that was exciting about our boats, we all had radar," said Czekanski.
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.
Are there any original 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 were PT boats in ww2?
Once the boats reached the Philippines, they were repainted in Measure 1, which was overall Overall Dark Gray (No. 5-D). At some point, probably in early 1942, at some point in April 1942, the Ron 3 boats were painted in some shade of green.
Did the Japanese have PT boats?
In the book “Japanese Destroyer Captain” CMDR Hara wrote that the Japanese were envious of the US 40-knot PT boats, and by the end of the war, the Japanese had developed a PT boat, but it was only capable of 25 knots.
How did the PT-109 crew survive?
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.
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.
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.
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.
What color were German U boats?
British submarines were usually painted blue-black and german boats dark grey, in each case this was to make them more difficult to see when cruising submerged.
What color were the Liberty ships?
Civilian Liberty ships were, for the most part. 5-O Ocean Gray overall. The instructions in the Trump kit to paint a lighter neutral gray are incorrect for the wartime period.
What were the colors of ships in World War 1?
During the First World War, merchant ships and their escorts were painted in so-called dazzle camouflage consisting of crazy patterns of stripes and geometric shapes. Many schemes used black and white, but blues and pastel colors came to be used in some.
What are the colors of port starboard?
Red lights are located portside, and green are starboard. The lights shine from dead ahead to 112.5º aft on either side of the vessel. On some boats, sidelights can be combined into one bicolor light.