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 235 | Replies: 11 | Pages: [1] 2

 Author  Topic: PT BOATS AT PEARL HARBOR
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: Jan 2, 2007 - 4:25am
I have heard many times how PT Boats assisted in looking for and bringing in survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. As the boats, along with the Submarines were not touched by the bombing, they cruised in the Harbor bringing aboard many of the injured sailors. History tends to downplay the role of the PT Boats and this type action is no different. PT Boats probably downed the first Japanese planes of this action, but again never really recieved credit due. I have never seen any photo's of the boats in action at Pearl Harbor and was wondering if any exsisted. I would love to include them as part of my Exhibit, but have found no evidence of photo's available. Anyone have information, please contact me here or off site at mosquitofleet@comcast.net


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

TGarth Connelly

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 2, 2007 - 6:34am
Frank -

Frank D. Johnson's book had a few of those photos. Also, I've been told that the boats at PH were a blue ...

Garth

You've got a question, I've got an answer.

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

C Marin Faure

Full Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of C Marin Faure   Send Email To C Marin Faure Posted on: Jan 3, 2007 - 11:17pm
From what I have read the PT boats in Pearl on December 7 were deck loaded on one or more fleet oilers at the time. Some of the PT crews got their guns into action during the attack but I don't recall reading in any of the many books I've read about the attack that PT boats were ever in action on the water.

C. Marin Faure
Sammamish, Washington

Total Posts: 27 | Joined: Dec 20, 2006 - 11:43pm | IP Logged

TGarth Connelly

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 4, 2007 - 4:01am
Marin,

Not all of the boats were on the tanker being shipped to the PI. Some were indeed in the water and were helping to pick up survivors.

Garth

You've got a question, I've got an answer.

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

C Marin Faure

Full Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of C Marin Faure   Send Email To C Marin Faure Posted on: Jan 5, 2007 - 12:35am
Garth--

Thanks. I looked at the Dec. 7 vessel disposition chart in Victor Chun's PT book and saw where the boats in the water were located. Interesting that none of the books I've read on the attack ever mentioned their role during or after the attack other than the guns of some of the ones on the oiler being brought into action. I have Frank Johnson's book "PT Boats of WWII" but did not see any photos in it of PT boats during or after the attack.


C. Marin Faure
Sammamish, Washington

Total Posts: 27 | Joined: Dec 20, 2006 - 11:43pm | IP Logged

TGarth Connelly

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 5, 2007 - 4:18am
There's one of two 77 footers racing along in front of a CV in Johnson's book.

Why would the Navy report on the movements inside a harbor of minor combatants. They were more concerned with raising the fleet and finding survivors and recovering bodies rather than the movements of a few minor units ... and how would you record something as fluid as that on a day of utter chaos. It'd next to impossible I should think.

Garth

You've got a question, I've got an answer.

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

C Marin Faure

Full Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of C Marin Faure   Send Email To C Marin Faure Posted on: Jan 5, 2007 - 2:25pm
I'm familiar with that photo and many others of PTs on patrol in the waters around Oahu after the war started. I thought someone had said there were photos in the book of the PTs being used in the harbor during or right after the Dec. 7 attack to pick up survivors.

I grew up in Hawaii and when I was a kid a family friend who was a submarine commander in the Navy gave me a big box full of PT and submarine photos. The 100 or so PT shots were all of boats in Hawaiian waters early in the war but none of them had been taken during or right after the attack.

The Navy might not have said much about the actions of small boats during or after the attack, but the people crewing them might have. Some of the books I've read about the attack related the experiences of people involved in fairly "insignificant" actions, like cruising around in a motor lifeboat pulling people off the bottom of the Okalahoma. I don't doubt that some of the PT boats were used in this way, I'm just a bit surprised that I've not seen it mentioned in any of the books I've read about the attack and its aftermath.

C. Marin Faure
Sammamish, Washington

Total Posts: 27 | Joined: Dec 20, 2006 - 11:43pm | IP Logged

Will Day

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: Jan 5, 2007 - 9:01pm
Cdr. Bulkeley's book AT CLOSE QUARTERS has a short description of the Ron 1 boats during the Pearl Harbor attack.

Will

Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm | IP Logged

C Marin Faure

Full Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of C Marin Faure   Send Email To C Marin Faure Posted on: Jan 5, 2007 - 10:38pm
Will-- Thanks for that reminder. I bought an early copy of At Close Quarters twenty years ago in a used bookstore when I first started researcing my current project and while I've read it I either missed or have forgotten Bulkley's desciption of the Pearl Harbor action. I'll review it again.


C. Marin Faure
Sammamish, Washington

Total Posts: 27 | Joined: Dec 20, 2006 - 11:43pm | IP Logged

Joe Brannan

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Joe Brannan   Send Email To Joe Brannan Posted on: Jan 6, 2007 - 8:57am
I saw two 77 ft Pt Boats dropping depth charges on a Jap sub that had gotten thru the net at PH. A destroyer was doing the spotting with it's sonar for the PT as it could not manuver in the entrance channel. The sub was between the net and the beached BS Nevada. This was a month after PH. The day I arrived in Ph.I was on my way in a motor launch to my new duty station US Niagara. We pulled over and tied up to the old coal docks until the action was over.


Total Posts: 8 | Joined: Oct 12, 2006 - 5:56pm | 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