the two vessels did not "collide" ,the IJN destroyer skipper SPOTTED the PT 109 (a much smaller craft ) and INTENTIONALLY ran it over ,this was a fairly commonplace tactic against enemy submarines and smaller craft ,especially at night ,when it might be very difficult to find it again .
essentially ,the lookouts(and skipper) of PT 109 were caught napping and run over by a ship they should have spotted first ,given its much ,much larger size and the frothy white bow wave as it approached .
Its a Mark 13 launcher with a Mark 8 torpedo inside it but it is not a PT boat. Its PT 109 because Ballard's team wanted it to be PT 109 and there is no other substantiation for that claim.
Ballard found the PT-109 * because thats the only PT-Boat that sank in that area. So regardless if it's only a torpedo tube and not the whole wreck under sediments attached he's damned close to the wreck itself which should not be distubed
* JFK holds the notorioty of being the only skipper of a USN PT-Boat to be rammed and sunk by an enemy destroyer (or any ship) in the entire 'Pacific Campaign' of WW2 (over 1200+ built if I recall accurately)
Read Bob Ballards book..The initial sonor readings showed Pics of the boat on the bottom, But It was 20-30 foot short, The missing stern with the packards was not with the rest of the ship,since it was cut in 2
How do they know its 109 and not another P.T boat? Chances are since the Tokyo express ran thru there, quite a number of P.T boats would have operated in that zone and some of them would have been lost in that same area.
the two vessels did not "collide" ,the IJN destroyer skipper SPOTTED the PT 109 (a much smaller craft ) and INTENTIONALLY ran it over ,this was a fairly commonplace tactic against enemy submarines and smaller craft ,especially at night ,when it might be very difficult to find it again .
essentially ,the lookouts(and skipper) of PT 109 were caught napping and run over by a ship they should have spotted first ,given its much ,much larger size and the frothy white bow wave as it approached .
woodenmajor 3 months ago
The Elco 80 ft. was mostly wood. So it is likely only the tubes & packards remain.
WALTERBROADDUS 6 months ago
Its a Mark 13 launcher with a Mark 8 torpedo inside it but it is not a PT boat. Its PT 109 because Ballard's team wanted it to be PT 109 and there is no other substantiation for that claim.
Ballard found a torpedo not a boat.
Skytroop 1 year ago
@Skytroop "Ballard found a torpedo not a boat"
Ballard found the PT-109 * because thats the only PT-Boat that sank in that area. So regardless if it's only a torpedo tube and not the whole wreck under sediments attached he's damned close to the wreck itself which should not be distubed
* JFK holds the notorioty of being the only skipper of a USN PT-Boat to be rammed and sunk by an enemy destroyer (or any ship) in the entire 'Pacific Campaign' of WW2 (over 1200+ built if I recall accurately)
cdddraftsman 11 months ago
JFK RIP
PT109 GRAVESITE RIP
censor48 2 years ago 2
That's what I heard too.
oneandatwo 3 years ago
wow, rip jfk
xjeffgordon24 3 years ago 2
good. thanks.
acblueeagle 3 years ago
That's one of Bobby's sons
BloodNGutts 3 years ago
Read Bob Ballards book..The initial sonor readings showed Pics of the boat on the bottom, But It was 20-30 foot short, The missing stern with the packards was not with the rest of the ship,since it was cut in 2
CAPTRON1234 3 years ago
I was going to say that!
TomcatLover14 2 years ago
@CAPTRON1234 OK then where is the boat? All I see is a torpedo.
Skytroop 1 year ago
How do they know its 109 and not another P.T boat? Chances are since the Tokyo express ran thru there, quite a number of P.T boats would have operated in that zone and some of them would have been lost in that same area.
wilburhog 3 years ago
do u guys no it split in half thats not it
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BloodNGutts 4 years ago