PT Boat Forum


Moderated by: Dick, Jeff D

The PT Boat Forum ª PT Boats of WWII ª  PT Boats - General

Next Page » | Page: 1 of 2

« Back to Topic Index Page 135 | Replies: 16 | Pages: [1] 2

 Author  Topic: PT BOAT COVERS
Frank J Andruss Sr

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 11:44am

These are a few examples of the many covers that contained PT BOATS. These are some of the ones in my Exhibit. I have many more, and find it amazing how popular the boats were during the War years, into the 50's and 60's.

Frank
















Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am | IP Logged

Jeff D

Moderator
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 12:37pm
Cool Frank, thanks for sharing those. Interesting to see their popularity was so high back then. Not really surprising, they were like the hotrods of the sea.

The comic on the bottom, do you know if those famous characters were part of the crew in the story? Although I doubt they were all Protestants...



Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am | IP Logged

Dick

Moderator
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Dick   Send Email To Dick Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 2:04pm

Interesting,

The War Stories Comic, 2nd row, the cover has a illustration of the early Higgins boat with the unusual configuration. Long Box walls and turret place further back then any of the later series boats and the bridge with a full back wall.
.


Total Posts: 1416 | Joined: Aug 27, 2006 - 6:36pm | IP Logged

earl

MASTER
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of earl  Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 2:38pm
I NOTICED THE TEN CENT PRICE ON ONE OF THE COVERS.IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD SELL FOR NOW. EARL

earl richmond

Total Posts: 197 | Joined: Oct 18, 2006 - 12:13pm | IP Logged

  TED WALTHER

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 4:01pm
Frank;
Nice covers, I especially like that mechanix Illustrated cover of "PT 10". That is actually one of the "Mystery" Elcos. It is really ENS. James Cross' PT 43 RON 2, underway off the East Coast, prior to shipment to Panama.
Take care,
TED


Total Posts: 3054 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am | IP Logged

citylimits

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 4:18pm
I can imagine that back in the day serving on a PT Boat would have been a fairly attractive prospect for any young guy with some sense of adventure in him.
I am interested though, was entry into the PT Boat service by direct application/selection or was being on a PT Boat a random placement by the Navy?
Bruce

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

Frank J Andruss Sr

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 5:30pm
Bruce

In the beginning they were looking for men to volenteer into the PT BOAT SERVICE. Their was of thinking was that it was hazaroud duty and you might not be coming back. As a young man, seeing these fast sleek and wonderous boats was the drawing point into joining the PT SERVICE. Ater the rescue of MacArthur from the Philippines by Lt. John D. Bulkely and the men of Ron 3, a campagin was started to find young men with small boat experience to join. However, some Navy men never attended the MTBSTC School, and yet they were sent to join operating squadrons.


Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am | IP Logged

QM

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 5:31pm
I believe that in the early days PT service may have been voluntary. For many years after the war ended there were references to all PT boaters being volunteers. I arrived in Australia in December, 1943 on a troop transport. A few weeks later several of us from that transport ship were assigned to PT Squadrons. I believe that all of the group had been to schools such as QM and GM. Later at Mios Woendi we started receiving replacements directly from boot camp. I did not volunteers for PTs but I have always felt that I could not have received a better assignment. I have heard tales that some Melville trained replacements were shanghied for other duty on their way to the SW Pacific. If so, this may have required others to be assigned to PTs. Even in recent years I have heard people say the PT boaters were all volunteers.

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

  Wayne Traxel

MASTER
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Wayne Traxel   Send Email To Wayne Traxel Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 7:39pm
When researching my PT Boat models, I had long ago learned that the best way was to contact former crew members of the boat I wanted to make a model of. What was really surprising was the number of these men that did not learn their trade at Melville but were assigned to PT Boats upon arrival in the Pacific. The majority of these guys were of the TM, MM and GM ratings and many of these guys went on to serve on more than one boat. One gentleman in particular Rich Malecki, TM2, Ron 11, PT-184 was my neighbor 10 years before I learned that he was on a boat. Rich who also didn't go to Melville related a story to me about four Sailors who were in the Brig at Pearl Harbor and were volunteered to serve in Ron 11. The PT service must have agreed with these guys because it turned their careers around.

Wayne Traxel

Total Posts: 248 | Joined: Oct 11, 2006 - 5:40am | IP Logged

citylimits

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Feb 6, 2009 - 8:45pm
Thank you for your interesting comments.

I'm currently reading; "At Close Quarters" by Robert J. Bulkley Jr.
I was interested in reading back on page 200 where a Commander Bowling decided that PT officers should be tough and so when he returned to the US to fit out his own Squadron (RON 21) he chose as officers the biggest, toughest athletes he could find.

Football players dominated the good Commanders selection but other athletic endeavors represented included champions in, rowing, swimming and lacrosse.

The author goes on to question whether athletes as a group could operate PT's any better than non-athletes being still open to debate,

Anyway, that is just an aside to my interest in how PT's were crewed.

While battles are fought mainly by young men - often very young men - the PT Boat service seems to be something that would attract them because it offered many of the experiences young men seem to be, almost instinctively, drawn to. For this reason I thought that perhaps, after being acquainted with its existence, many Navy recruits would make a bee-line towards PT's. Especially guys with a recreational boating back ground.

Bruce



Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

Next Page »

Pages: [1] 2


Lock Topic

 

Forum Legend

New Member

Reply to topic

More than 25 posts | Full Member

Reply to topic with quoted message

More than 50 posts | Advanced Member

Edit Message

More than 150 posts | MASTER

View profile

More than 300 posts | TOP BOSS

Email member