On this day in 1943: Lt. Kennedy helps save the crew of PT-109

[Liminal]

How does a PT boat get rammed by a destroyer? PT boat, light and maneuverable, destroyer, not so much.

Fucking stupid question. They were operating at night in a narrow channel, and were not equipped with radar. Do you have any other completely stupid questions?

So what you are saying is that in the dead of a moonless night they positioned themselves in a narrow shipping lane. Guess you are right it was a silly question. No wonder his was the only PT boat to be rammed. Sit in the dark, in a narrow channel with one of your engines off, smart real smart.

How do you imagine torpedo boats set up an ambush during WW2? Any ideas about that Admiral?

 

[Liminal]

This is what happens when politically motivated morons try to judge the actions of men who have served in combat. Must be a Trump supporter.

 

[westwall]

Without a drydock there is no way to clean the hull.

indeed there certainly is

In a warzone With no support? Do tell.

it was in the water less then a year since it was built

and it was in port

at Tulagi at the end of April

when JFK took command

it had been under JFK barely more then a couple of months

Yeah? So? The hull would have been completely covered in 2 months. It actually hurts the boats to be in port. When they were out on operations is when the plant and barnacle growth was the least.

--LOL

so being on patrol the barnacles would not have grown

we have gone full circle

--LOL

No, they still grow. Just slower. When the boat is in motion the little larvae have a hard time fixing themselves to the hull. All of my PT reading was done when I was a kid and they were from these ancient things called "books". I suggest you read one. They all mention he problem of marine growth and how it slowed them down.

 

[regent]

How does a PT boat get rammed by a destroyer? PT boat, light and maneuverable, destroyer, not so much.

Fucking stupid question. They were operating at night in a narrow channel, and were not equipped with radar. Do you have any other completely stupid questions?

So what you are saying is that in the dead of a moonless night they positioned themselves in a narrow shipping lane. Guess you are right it was a silly question. No wonder his was the only PT boat to be rammed. Sit in the dark, in a narrow channel with one of your engines off, smart real smart.

That was war, real war, and in real wars people take risks, risks like sitting in the dark in a narrow channel with one motor off, hoping to catch something.

 

[gipper]

JFK was without a doubt a hero for his actions in saving his crew.

He also was one of our better presidents, which is why his was murdered. When a POTUS acts against the military industrial complex/CIA, he gets his head blown off in broad daylight.

 

[Freewill]

How does a PT boat get rammed by a destroyer? PT boat, light and maneuverable, destroyer, not so much.

Fucking stupid question. They were operating at night in a narrow channel, and were not equipped with radar. Do you have any other completely stupid questions?

So what you are saying is that in the dead of a moonless night they positioned themselves in a narrow shipping lane. Guess you are right it was a silly question. No wonder his was the only PT boat to be rammed. Sit in the dark, in a narrow channel with one of your engines off, smart real smart.

How do you imagine torpedo boats set up an ambush during WW2? Any ideas about that Admiral?

I think the results speak for the bright idea of blocking a narrow channel without the means to move out of the way.

 

[Freewill]

JFK was without a doubt a hero for his actions in saving his crew.

He also was one of our better presidents, which is why his was murdered. When a POTUS acts against the military industrial complex/CIA, he gets his head blown off in broad daylight.

How exactly did he "save his crew?"

 

[jon_berzerk]

indeed there certainly is

In a warzone With no support? Do tell.

it was in the water less then a year since it was built

and it was in port

at Tulagi at the end of April

when JFK took command

it had been under JFK barely more then a couple of months

Yeah? So? The hull would have been completely covered in 2 months. It actually hurts the boats to be in port. When they were out on operations is when the plant and barnacle growth was the least.

--LOL

so being on patrol the barnacles would not have grown

we have gone full circle

--LOL

No, they still grow. Just slower. When the boat is in motion the little larvae have a hard time fixing themselves to the hull. All of my PT reading was done when I was a kid and they were from these ancient things called "books". I suggest you read one. They all mention he problem of marine growth and how it slowed them down.

They all mention he problem of marine growth and how it slowed them down


stop with the stupid insults you are acting childish

even if there had been barnacles on the boat

it did NOT make them so slow that they could not have maneuvered out of the way of the Amagiri

the problem was they could not keep up with the enemy

had you done a little checking you would have found out the barnacle and seaweed build up if it existed

made them slower then top speed of the Japanese destroyers

NOT that they ran at a "fraction" of their own speed

--LOL

 

[regent]

I don't know what happened but I doubt it was a dirty bottom that was the cause of the end of the 109. Sounds like the 109 was waiting in the dark, waiting to ambush something Japanese. They sat waiting with one motor idling, waiting for a target. when suddenly a Japanese destroyer was upon them and cut the 109 up. I would suspect those things happen in a war. Anyway that's my interpretation of the event based on these posts.

 

[Freewill]

I don't know what happened but I doubt it was a dirty bottom that was the cause of the end of the 109. Sounds like the 109 was waiting in the dark, waiting to ambush something Japanese. They sat waiting with one motor idling, waiting for a target. when suddenly a Japanese destroyer was upon them and cut the 109 up. I would suspect those things happen in a war. Anyway that's my interpretation of the event based on these posts.

Only happened once to a PT boat.

 

[gipper]

How does a PT boat get rammed by a destroyer? PT boat, light and maneuverable, destroyer, not so much.

Fucking stupid question. They were operating at night in a narrow channel, and were not equipped with radar. Do you have any other completely stupid questions?

So what you are saying is that in the dead of a moonless night they positioned themselves in a narrow shipping lane. Guess you are right it was a silly question. No wonder his was the only PT boat to be rammed. Sit in the dark, in a narrow channel with one of your engines off, smart real smart.

How do you imagine torpedo boats set up an ambush during WW2? Any ideas about that Admiral?

I think the results speak for the bright idea of blocking a narrow channel without the means to move out of the way.

He did what he could to save his crew.
Lt. Kennedy helps save the crew of PT-109 Aug. 1 1943 - Andrew Glass - POLITICO

 

[Freewill]

How does a PT boat get rammed by a destroyer? PT boat, light and maneuverable, destroyer, not so much.

Fucking stupid question. They were operating at night in a narrow channel, and were not equipped with radar. Do you have any other completely stupid questions?

So what you are saying is that in the dead of a moonless night they positioned themselves in a narrow shipping lane. Guess you are right it was a silly question. No wonder his was the only PT boat to be rammed. Sit in the dark, in a narrow channel with one of your engines off, smart real smart.

How do you imagine torpedo boats set up an ambush during WW2? Any ideas about that Admiral?

I think the results speak for the bright idea of blocking a narrow channel without the means to move out of the way.

He did what he could to save his crew.
Lt. Kennedy helps save the crew of PT-109 Aug. 1 1943 - Andrew Glass - POLITICO

the way I read it the crew swam to shore, and Kennedy carved a coconut, the rest, I believe is elaboration.

 

[regent]

I don't know what happened but I doubt it was a dirty bottom that was the cause of the end of the 109. Sounds like the 109 was waiting in the dark, waiting to ambush something Japanese. They sat waiting with one motor idling, waiting for a target. when suddenly a Japanese destroyer was upon them and cut the 109 up. I would suspect those things happen in a war. Anyway that's my interpretation of the event based on these posts.

Only happened once to a PT boat.

Ever happen to another boat besides a PT? In any case, maybe we should do our homework on the event keeping the politics out of narrative and see how it comes out.

 

[Syriusly]

Fucking stupid question. They were operating at night in a narrow channel, and were not equipped with radar. Do you have any other completely stupid questions?

So what you are saying is that in the dead of a moonless night they positioned themselves in a narrow shipping lane. Guess you are right it was a silly question. No wonder his was the only PT boat to be rammed. Sit in the dark, in a narrow channel with one of your engines off, smart real smart.

How do you imagine torpedo boats set up an ambush during WW2? Any ideas about that Admiral?

I think the results speak for the bright idea of blocking a narrow channel without the means to move out of the way.

He did what he could to save his crew.
Lt. Kennedy helps save the crew of PT-109 Aug. 1 1943 - Andrew Glass - POLITICO

the way I read it the crew swam to shore, and Kennedy carved a coconut, the rest, I believe is elaboration.

Feel free to provide an alternative account- but right now it appears you are just pulling crap out of your ass in an odd attempt to play Devil's Advocate.

Or we can read the words of the man who was saved by Jack Kennedy

Remembering JFK and PT-109 heroism SanDiegoUnionTribune.com

The surviving crew decided to swim to a nearby island. McMahon was in terrible pain. “The skipper came over to me and said, ‘Mac, you and I will go together.’

“I said, ‘I’ll just keep you back. You go on with the other men — don’t worry about me.’

“Exasperated, the skipper cried out, ‘What in the hell are you talking about? Get your butt in the water!’

“The skipper swam the breast stroke, carrying me on his back, with the leather strap of my kapok clenched between his teeth. It was daylight and it took about four hours to swim the three miles to the island.”

Later they swam to a larger island. “It took several hours to reach it, and when we finally arrived on the land, the skipper was physically ill, retching and vomiting. Many of the crew were frustrated and despondent.”

JFK ended up spending some 30 hours in the shark-infested water during the ordeal, swimming out to sea in an attempt to attract the attention of another PT boat. At times, showing his humor, Kennedy would say, ‘We’re going to get back if I have to tow this island back!”

With the help of some natives, the crew was discovered and rescued several days later.

During McMahon’s hospital recuperation, JFK wrote Rose McMahon on Aug. 11, 1943: “Your husband ... is alive and well ... (he) acted in a way that has brought him official commendation — and the respect and affection of the officers and crew with whom he served.”

 

[Liminal]

Fucking stupid question. They were operating at night in a narrow channel, and were not equipped with radar. Do you have any other completely stupid questions?

So what you are saying is that in the dead of a moonless night they positioned themselves in a narrow shipping lane. Guess you are right it was a silly question. No wonder his was the only PT boat to be rammed. Sit in the dark, in a narrow channel with one of your engines off, smart real smart.

How do you imagine torpedo boats set up an ambush during WW2? Any ideas about that Admiral?

I think the results speak for the bright idea of blocking a narrow channel without the means to move out of the way.

He did what he could to save his crew.
Lt. Kennedy helps save the crew of PT-109 Aug. 1 1943 - Andrew Glass - POLITICO

the way I read it the crew swam to shore, and Kennedy carved a coconut, the rest, I believe is elaboration.

You never read anything in your life that didn't come from a website junior, so who gives a fuck how you read it?

 

[Liminal]

How does a PT boat get rammed by a destroyer? PT boat, light and maneuverable, destroyer, not so much.

Fucking stupid question. They were operating at night in a narrow channel, and were not equipped with radar. Do you have any other completely stupid questions?

So what you are saying is that in the dead of a moonless night they positioned themselves in a narrow shipping lane. Guess you are right it was a silly question. No wonder his was the only PT boat to be rammed. Sit in the dark, in a narrow channel with one of your engines off, smart real smart.

How do you imagine torpedo boats set up an ambush during WW2? Any ideas about that Admiral?

I think the results speak for the bright idea of blocking a narrow channel without the means to move out of the way.

The results of this thread speak for themselves......you don't know anything about anything. But you feel free to engage in idiot speculation anyway. Just like a dumbshit Trump follower would.

 

[whitehall]

You have to separate the legend of PT 109 into two parts. First you have to analyze the crash and then you can get to the survival part. It's almost laughable that the JFK defenders would suggest that barnacle growth impeded the PT Boat's ability to get out of the way of a destroyer. What's left? The crew was asleep and they were run over by a Japanese destroyer before they had a chance to get underway. JFK fought his back pain and acted heroically and saved at least one crew member from drowning. He is still responsible for the loss of his Boat and the crew members who didn't survive.

 

[Liminal]

You have to separate the legend of PT 109 into two parts. First you have to analyze the crash and then you can get to the survival part. It's almost laughable that the JFK defenders would suggest that barnacle growth impeded the PT Boat's ability to get out of the way of a destroyer. What's left? The crew was asleep and they were run over by a Japanese destroyer before they had a chance to get underway. JFK fought his back pain and acted heroically and saved at least one crew member from drowning. He is still responsible for the loss of his Boat and the crew members who didn't survive.

In the same way that all captains are responsible for the loss of their ships. There was never any implication of negligence, except by dummies on websites.

 

[regent]

You have to separate the legend of PT 109 into two parts. First you have to analyze the crash and then you can get to the survival part. It's almost laughable that the JFK defenders would suggest that barnacle growth impeded the PT Boat's ability to get out of the way of a destroyer. What's left? The crew was asleep and they were run over by a Japanese destroyer before they had a chance to get underway. JFK fought his back pain and acted heroically and saved at least one crew member from drowning. He is still responsible for the loss of his Boat and the crew members who didn't survive.

Yeah they should have made Kennedy sign a statement-of-charges as they might have done with every pilot that lost an airplane or admiral that lost an aircraft carrier. Then too there was all those American paratroopers shot down by American antiaircraft guns. I think in combat situations the loss of a tank is bad news but it's part of the game.

 

[Syriusly]

You have to separate the legend of PT 109 into two parts. First you have to analyze the crash and then you can get to the survival part. It's almost laughable that the JFK defenders would suggest that barnacle growth impeded the PT Boat's ability to get out of the way of a destroyer.

You were the one who brought up 'barnacle growth'- and suggested that it may have slowed the PT 109 down.

You of course can create any fan fiction you want regarding what happened to the PT 109- but that is all it is- fan fiction.

According to the reports- PT 109 was leading a squad of 3 boats, when the destroyer surprised them- the other two boats were able to successfully take evasive action.

But you just go ahead creating your fan fiction- nothing says respect more than Monday Morning quarterbacking what happened in combat 70 years ago.