[wasp69]

So how did JFK manage to get rammed?

You know, I have often wondered how one could get a very light, very fast, and extremely manueverable craft athwartships a destroyer. Unless the engines were out, I would have to say it is incompetence.

[FreeInWV]

So how did JFK manage to get rammed?

From what I recall, the crew of PT-109 installed a vastly oversized gun on the bow. At the time it seemed like a good idea. The problem was, it made the boat fairly unmaneuverable. Before they could get it removed and replaced with the standard navy issue gun, the boat was sent on a mission & sunk.

[michigander]

Report on Loss of PT-109

[Bobby777]

You know, I have often wondered how one could get a very light, very fast, and extremely manueverable craft athwartships a destroyer. Unless the engines were out, I would have to say it is incompetence.

I believe, they were idling on just the one center engine to conserve fuel, as was often the case on long patrols ... the two outboard engines were switched off ... amazingly, even a large ship at night, in combat conditions, is hard to hear or even see unless there is much moonlight or starlight (cloud cover that is) ...

anyway, as I understand it, by the time they realized the ship was upon them, the craft is too sluggish on one engine to perform any decent evasive manuevering ...

[gc4nra]

"You know, I have often wondered how one could get a very light, very fast, and extremely manueverable craft athwartships a destroyer. Unless the engines were out, I would have to say it is incompetence."

My Dad(rest his soul), who was stationed on Guam with the Army Air Corp, never bought into the Kennedy myth. He would often ask this question and point out that any other Captain who lost his boat/ship would have been brought before a board of inquiry.