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PT Boats of WWII
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PT Boats - General
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[StartQuote] In my 13 months in the Solomons. We were in every base in the Solomons except Lever Harbor. It was not really on the way to and from Tulagi so had no reason to go there. We were based at Lambu Lambu Cove from about Nov 1, 1943 until Dec 14th 1943. Ron 19 operated out of there patroling Choiseul and southern Bougainville. Lambu was the most primitive base we were based. It was a small cove maybe 500 yds. deep and 200 to 300 yds. wide. There were mangrove trees all around the cove and the boats berthed tied up to these trees. We berthed tied up next to the 59 boat which was a Elco 77 footer gun boat with 40's bow and stern and three sets of twin 50's down each side. This was John Kenndy's boat which he was Skipper after the 109 was sunk. At that time he was just another boat Captain to us. The Skippers of the boats slept in tents on the beach so I did not know him but saw him many times on his boat. We were acquainted with his crew. The entrance to the cove was less than 100 yds wide where the small dock was located. Only two boats could tie up at the dock at a time. The base consisted of one small rusty sheet iron building and three native grass huts where we stored all our supplies. Our base force chow hall and sick bay was in tents located about 200 yds up a coral path from the dock area in the jungle. We refueled at the dock from 55 gal. drums. About once a week aviation fuel was brought in by L.C.T. barge loaded with 55 gal. drums It opened in the front with a ramp in the water. All hands were called out to roll the drums off the barge into water - then push them onto the beach - sit them upright. We loaded the empty drums back on to the L.C.T.. The refueling crew used a small gasoline engine mounted on a pump to refuel the boats. They would set the engine on a barrel - pump it empty - then move to the next barrel. On Dec 14th about the middle of the afternoon, we were asleep ( we were on patrol the night before) we were awakened with explosions coming from the fuel dock. There was a tremendous fire raging. The native grass huts were completly in flames. The 238 and the 239 boats were tied at the dock being refueled. We saw two guys jump on the outside boat - started it up and tried to pull the other boat away from the dock with them but it was still tied. One of the guys grab an axe which all boats carried and chopped the lines and were able to pull away and save the outside (238) boat. By then the inside boat (239) was completly in flames. It burned and sank at the dock. The two men were Foley and Olsen - they later received the Navy Marine Corp. Medal for their bravery. We were on our 242 boat about 200 yds from the fire. Ammunition stored in the grass huts was exploding and tracers were shooting out. The 55 gal barrels would explode and split along the seams forming floating torches. Several drifted back toward our boat. We got out the carbine rifles and shot holes in them but that was not a good idea because the burning gasoline spread out over the water. The boats were all trapped in the cove because the entrance where the fire was located was too narrow for us to get out to sea. We lost our Chief Gunners Mate and 1st Class Boatswain Mate they were working in the grass huts and were trapped before they could get out. We lost all our spare parts, fuel and food supplies. It was determined that the small gasoline engine used for refueling back fired - which ignited the gasoline. The next day they had funeral services for our lost comrades and we loaded up what was left of the base and joined Ron 9 further up the line at Treasury. The base at Lambu Lambu was abandoned when we left and was not used again.. C. J. Willis[EndQuote]
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