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Topic: Report On Loss Of PT-109 |
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Russell Pullano
Advanced Member
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 Posted on: Feb 23, 2009 - 6:28am
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Drew & Petertare,...Thanks Petertare for posting the map. The distances could not be calculated on the map, so Ferguson Passage and Blackett Strait may be closer than shown. I'll try to explain MY VERSION of the 10 seconds
I will give you my memory of what the crew (my shipmates) of the 162 told me. I want you to realize that what I say is not the Gospel. I don't want anyone saying that I am giving the absolute facts. GOT THAT ??
First I'm going to give you a little arithmetic. The Amagiri was estimated at traveling approximately 40 knots. One nautical knot is one & one eight land miles, therefor the destroyer was travelling 45 mph. At 45 mph the vessel travels 66 feet per second. That's 22 yards/sec. therefor 10 seconds =220 yards.
I was told that neither the 109 or the 162 had radar at that time.. The radar was on the 159 boat which had left it's division and returned to base because it had expended it's fish.
In between Ferguson passage and Blackett strait was land This can be seen on the map. The dark night,vegetation, and palm trees blocked any sight of either vessel in each lane.
Evidently the 109 was ahead of the destroyer and entered into open waters in advance of the Jap can. Naturally when surprised you must lose at least a second before your mind settles down. That takes us down to 9 seconds.
The 109 had one engine ahead. The skipper must signal the engine room that he wants the other two engines shifted into gear. By time ths all takes place we must have lost 2 more seconds. that takes us down to 7 seconds to get into position for action. The boats are quite manuverable, HOWEVER....... ,they cannot turn on a dime.
The report said that the 109 barely turned 30 degrees before it was crushed.
It's not that they were in open sea while patrolling so that they could see the destroyer coming.
To get back to the math, when the destroyer was first spotted it was about 200 yards away. At 22 yards per second, 10 seconds amounts to 220 yards, therefor it would take only that much time to collide.
This is my analysis of the situation as I remember it being told to me by my shipmates on the 162. Again I want to emphasize that It is only my opinion. Please do not take this as coming from one who was there or is a historian
Russ
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Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 23, 2009 - 12:50pm
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Perfect, Peter Tare Builder!
That's the exact map, from one of the rear end papers of Robert J. Donovan's "PT 109 - John F. Kennedy in World War II," that I was thinking of, when I read Russ's question.
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Russell Pullano
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Feb 23, 2009 - 1:03pm
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Drew, What I meant about the distances is that there is no scale on the map and the relation betrween the islands, if shrunk in size, would look closer. I didn't mean to diasgree with the authenticity of the map. Sorry if I didn't express it as I meant to. I hope this clears it up. Sorry.
Russ
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Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 23, 2009 - 1:19pm
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Thank you, Russ, for your recounting what the 162 crew related to you at the time, coupled with your own experience(s) -- fascinating information.
To add to what you said...
As far as I've been able to ascertain from reading and researching the subject over the years, the Japanese destroyer sailors were highly expert at high-speed steaming and manuvering at night, in and among the islands of the Solomons. They, of course, knew what they were doing and where they were going that night -- the PTs didn't, and were patrolling (with the exception of the four primitive radar-equipped division leaders) almost blind in hopes of catching them.
I've also read that the fast-moving Jap destroyer column was masked by the huge, dark background of Kolombangara, which was a large -- and blacker -- background against the black night and sea.
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 23, 2009 - 1:30pm
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In November of 1996 I had recieved a hand written letter from Gunners Mate Larry Ogilvie. Larry served on PT 162 as Gunners Mate and related to me in his own words the PT 109 incident . He was asigned to PT 162 with Commander Robert Kelly in charge, Jack Lowrey (Skipper), Sam Reynolds (XO).
Others on the boat were Johny, Quartermaster, Todd, Gunnersmate, Shorty Sean, Cook, Thompson , Covington & Gallant. This was all he mentioned in the letter. He talks about patrols and taking troops off of New Georgia and other Islands. He says they did not have Radar and depended on spotters from the PBY Aircraft. He says that on one dark night, they were hit by a Daisey Cutter. Todd, Gunners mate relived him on the wheel watch, and the bomb hit three minutes later. Todd was in agoney the rest of the night, and the 162 was also hit in the engine room where it wounded Hank Covington. He had scrapnel across his back.
Both of the boys were laid on the deck for the night, and were given Brandy for medicine. Todd would pass away 2 days later, while Hank would recover. From the bomb, PT 162 was riddled with nuts and bolts and scrap metal getting many holes all over. On the 1st or 2cond 1943 we were patrolling Blackett Strait when PT 109 was hit.
As we moved slowly on patrol, the 109 was ahead , then in echalon formation the 162, then the 159. We were about 200 to 250 feet apart and it was so dark we could only see the wake of the other boat ahead of us. I was on watch at the Port 50 Cal. Gun Tub looking through Binnoculars & couldn't see anything until the 109 was hit.
The Jap Destroyer, later known as the Amagiri, came from our Starboard side about 250 feet in front of the 162, and hit the 109 on the starboard side. -looked like she was hit right in the Center. Gas Tanks on the 109 exploded- lighting up the whole area. The Can sliced through the 109 & never slowed at all- then dissapeared into the night.
We were stunned and never fired a shot, trying to realizw what had happened. We didn't think anyone could have lived through that and Lt. Lowrey took us out of there. The Crew wanted to go back and told the Skipper just that. The problem was we could not see the 109 any longer and never did go back. PT 159 also took off as well. This incident has bothered me for many years after, knowing we should have tried to go back and look for the 109.
Later as Jack Kennedy was running for President, I went to see him at Spokane Washington. I was allowed to ride in an elevator with him, and all he said was "Where in Hell did you guys go". Kennedy also asked who the Skipper was on the 162, and I told him Lt. Lowrey. Covington sent me a letter, later telling me that Lt. Lowrey had a brain tumor and committed suicide after being discharged.
We resumed our nightly patrols. One night while fighting a Jap Barge, a bullet had struck the air jacket on the right hand machine gun, bending it in & pressing on the barrel. I straightened it out & it seemed to work ok. We had trouble sometimes keeping our guns working because of the salt water spray. My last day on the 162 boat was in January 1944. We were fighting a Jap barge, when that same gun jammed or misfired. I tried to eject the round in the chamber, but it didn't eject. Trying to remove the cover plate and fix my problem as we were under attack, the round in the chamber exploded and the second round blew apart. I got the full impact right in the face, which did not help my looks any, and I thought I was blind.
I was taken off the boat and sent to Treasury Island, then by plane to Guadalcanal. I slept for three days and thre nights at the Hospital. While there we were visited by Elenor Roosevelt, which was pretty nice. I took a Tanker to Oakland Naval Hospital where I had an operation on the left eye to remove shell fragments and gun powder from my face. Frank, although this was tough times, I would not trade my time spent on the boat for anything. For your interest, we very seldom slept ot there, and our meals consisted of Spam Sandwhiches and K-Rations.
Bathing consisted of jumping in the water and our hair was cut by our shipmates. Our clothes were washed in salt water or not at all. Natives had alot of red hair, and torpedo juice was run throough astill which made a good drink with Lime juice. We once had fresh oyster stew, and we caught a shark too. We fueled from 50 gallon drums, cleaned our guns, checked our motors and torpedoes and worked pretty much the whole morning into the very early afternoon to get ready for patrol.
Nothing could be as exciting as my time on PT Boats. I always had a feeling that the 162 was a very unlucky boat, but it survived the War and I shall never forget my crewmates. I try to go to all the renunions and se Sam Reynolds every year. I was so glad to talk to you Frank, hope you can read my writing. Best regards to you, and keep up the good work you are trying to do with your Exhibits.
Lawrence (Larry) Ogilvie
Ron 9- Boat 162
Discharged after 5 years of service as GM 1st class.
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Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 23, 2009 - 6:30pm
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Thanks, Frank -- absolutely fascinating info, as always!
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Feb 24, 2009 - 6:43am
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Thanks all from me too, good to read "real" firsthand accounts of that night. And I agree Dick does a great job on this website. I can't remember ever seeing spam on this forum, and the whole site is clean and well laid out.
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David Waples
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 24, 2009 - 6:03pm
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Yes, thanks very much for posting this account. I had to copy that one and save it in hard copy for future reference.
All the best
Dave
David Waples |
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