Posted on 08/07/2019 11:47:50 AM PDT by Perseverando
The South Pacific had many major battles during World War II:
Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941,
Wake Island, Dec. 7-23, 1941,
Doolittle Raid, April 18, 1942,
Coral Sea, May 4-8, 1942,
Midway, June 4-7, 1942,
Guadalcanal campaign, Aug. 7, 1942-Feb. 9, 1943,
Gilbert & Marshall Islands campaign, 1943–44:
Makin Island, Aug. 17-18, 1942,
Tarawa, Nov. 20, 1943,
Makin, Nov. 20-23, 1943,
Kwajalein, Feb. 14, 1944,
Eniwetok, Feb. 17, 1944,
Truk Island, Feb. 17-18, 1944, Mariana & Palau Islands campaign 1944:
Saipan, June 16, 1944,
Philippine Sea, June 19-20, 1944,
Guam, July 21, 1944,
Tinian, July 24, 1944,
Peleliu, Sept. 15, 1944,
Angaur, Sept. 17, 1944,
Leyte & Leyte Gulf, Oct. 23-29, 1944 (Largest WWII naval battle and possibly largest naval battle in world history),
Iwo Jima, Feb. 19, 1945;
Okinawa, April 1, 1945.
After the Guadalcanal campaign, which was the Allied forces first major offensive, the U.S. began island hopping, securing the Solomon islands.
Lieutenant John F. Kennedy commanded the PT-109, one of the small 80 foot-long Navy patrol torpedo boats used to monitor and disrupt the Tokyo Express - the shipping lanes used by Imperial Japan's destroyers through the Ferguson and Blackett Straits.
PT boats operated almost exclusively at night, often in fog and without reliable radar. They fired their torpedoes at close range, then sped away.
On the foggy night of August, 2, 1943, PT-109 was idling on one engine to avoid detection while awaiting approaching enemy destroyers.
The crew was shocked to realize they were in the direct path of an oncoming speeding destroyer, the Amagiri.
With just seconds to respond, they were unable to avoid collision.
The PT-109 was rammed, broken in half, and began to began to sink.
After the war, author Robert Donovan interviewed crew
(Excerpt) Read more at myemail.constantcontact.com ...
That stroke of luck changed American history
In Tulsa I met the captain of one of the PT-Boats in Kennedy’s squadron. I asked him about Kennedy. He said that he was well liked by the other Captains.
He did add that getting rammed was a real embarrassment for a PT-Boat. After losing his boat Kennedy did perform well.
“
On the foggy night of August, 2, 1943, PT-109 was idling on one engine to avoid detection while awaiting approaching enemy destroyers.”
Can you cite the error and the omission?
“and without reliable radar. “
Turning on your radar would be broadcasting a big
‘here I am’ signal.
Bataan? Corregidor?
They were on patrol looking for enemy destroyers.
Clearly, the Japanese were better at looking.
Wikipedia references a book, "At Close Quarters: PT Boats in the United States Navy", which says that 8 boats were lost through being rammed by the enemy.
Kind of odd that a small, fast boat could be sunk in such a way by a ship that was much slower and less maneuverable.
It the boat in question is idling on one engine and the ship in question is traveling at high speed then it's the ship that is more maneuverable and the boat that would have problems getting out of the way.
Kennedy fell asleep.
That’s how you get rammed.
He was sawing logs when he should have been awake.
He was the Captain and he was responsible.
Good old Came-a-lot.
Nice recovery and some good swimming, but he got rammed in a big ocean.
“It the boat in question is idling on one engine and the ship in question is traveling at high speed then it’s the ship that is more maneuverable and the boat that would have problems getting out of the way.”
That is exactly what happened. PT-109 was strung out in a skirmish line of sorts in the main shipping channel. The flotilla leader was radar equipped, but none of the other boats had radar. That tactic was to idle on the center engine with the mufflers engaged so that they could ‘hear’ shipping traffic. The center engine had a deeper prop shaft and so did not leave as much wake that could be spotted by enemy float-planes (the bane of the PT’s).
The problem with the tactics:
1. It’s very difficult to hear a warship moving directly toward you — even over water.
2. With 2 motors off or out-of-gear you are severly limited in acceleration.
3. The mufflers also limited throttle response and required precious seconds to disengage.
Maybe not the best naval officer but despite being injured he risked his own life to save his shipmate. Unlike Kerry JFK showed real heroism.
I’ve often wondered if the crew of Pt109 were fishing and drinking torpedo juice instead of taking care of business. I think if it would have been Ltjg Slubb they would have had his guts for garders.
The official report said his engines were off which was a major violation of orders. The Navy wanted to court martial him but his father wanted him to be awarded the CMH.
PT-109 becoming a naval legend had to be because of some boosting from the press. This would not have become a big story if the skipper's father hadn't been Joe Kennedy.
In the navy, losing your boat is not considered a good thing. At the board of inquiry, they never reached a decision. This is odd.
Kennedy wanted to return to the PT Boats, but was declined. Official reason was because of the back injury he sustained. Rumors were there were concerns about him dating women that were possible foreign spies, and that there was concern about his competence.
Agree with you that Kennedy may not have been a great naval officer, but both he and his older brother, Joe, volunteered for extremely hazardous duty, when they could have easily gotten safe assignments. Joe died, John nearly died, and tried to go back.
John Kennedy never made a big deal out of his naval career. Other people talked about it, but Kennedy never bragged.
(personal opinion coming) The John Kennedy that ran for president was a media creation, from the ghost-written Profiles in Courage, to the senate seat prepared for him. After he got in office, he became a great man. Bobby Kennedy took on the mob. John Kennedy took on the CIA and the mafia over Cuba. And they killed him for it.
Tameichi Hara’s autobiography, “Japanese Destroyer Captain”, presents a somewhat less heroic view of that night’s events. Hara was either skipper or XO on one of the other destroyers accompanying the Amagiri, and witnessed the collision.
In early battles this gave them a decided edge. Beginning with the sea battles off Guadalcanal our Navy had radar but the commanders did not understand what it could provide so we continued to get pounded at sea.
Once we refined (PPI) radar and trained our sailors we took away the edge that the Japs had enjoyed and began to dish it out at range long before even the best lookout could see us.
Thanks, I knew the Japs were known to be good at night fighting early on.
It sounds like they were good because they really worked at it.
A really well written book.
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