Very few of us seem to grasp that a PT boat was designed to outrun and out manuever a destroyer, rather than get run over by a destroyer.
Ships do on occasion run into each other at sea. In war time where they purposely keep their own visibily low, it was just dumb luck it happened with PT-109. Was Kennedy at fault, well technically yes since he was the Captain.
At least JFK served in the miltary, along with his brother Joe who died. JFK was lucky that he also did not die.
I may not like the Kennedys, especially the ones that continue to live off the memories of JFK, but I will respect the man that served during wartime, and was almost killed in that service.
“Very few of us seem to grasp that a PT boat was designed to outrun and out manuever a destroyer, rather than get run over by a destroyer.”
For years I have been wondering if the Jap Destroyer knew they were there or not. I mean, how the hell does a PT actually get under and inside of the Destroyers gun range?