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 141 | Replies: 12 | Pages: [1] 2

 Author  Topic: pearl harbor day
EARL RICHMOND

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of EARL RICHMOND  Posted on: Dec 7, 2010 - 8:45am
lest we forget.this is the
'day of infamy. a day to remember those that died and a day prayer for those that died and were wounded afterwards.this day all our lives and the way we woukld live was changed forever.many have forgotton this day or just put it aside.those that remain will never forget.













'.the beginning of ww2 for us.remember this day as a beginning of a new way of living and a day of remberence for those that diest

earl richmond

Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm | IP Logged

Darren

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Dec 7, 2010 - 9:40am
I have not forgotten and I am thankful for all who served.


Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | 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: Dec 7, 2010 - 10:17am
Amen to that.....

Will

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

Blake

Advanced Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Blake   Send Email To Blake Posted on: Dec 7, 2010 - 10:38am
I love the Fourth of July Holiday & I Love the Christmas Season. Pearl Harbor day is the only day where I get to mix the two. I always hang a large (coffin) US flag on our house for December 7th, & the Christmas lights on the house illuminate it beautifully!
After I hung it last night, I stood a few minutes in the drizzle looking at it in the soft white glow of the lights & tried to bring to mind what those there 69 years ago last night might have been doing, not knowing what the next morning would bring, or that many of them would not live to see another beautiful Hawaiian sunset. I got a chill down my back & it wasn't from the freezing drizzle!
A thanks to all those who served in that great conflict, and a special RIP to those who never saw December 8th.
B-

Total Posts: 61 | Joined: Apr 18, 2008 - 2:44pm | IP Logged

EARL RICHMOND

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of EARL RICHMOND  Posted on: Dec 7, 2010 - 12:02pm
trivia i read somewhere that it was a pt boat that shot down the first japanese plane that day

earl richmond

Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm | IP Logged

  Jerry Gilmartin

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Dec 7, 2010 - 12:13pm
Hi Earl!
I read the Action Report typed up by Commander Specht that describes this same incident.
Here is a link to it on the Navy Historic Center website.
http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwii/pearl/ph10.htm
Also, here is what Bulkleys book "At Close Quarters" says about the attack....Jerry

2. "THEY LOOK LIKE JAPS"
On the morning of December 7, 1941, six PT's, the 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, were moored at the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base in three nests of two boats each, alongside and ahead of the YR-20, a covered barge which served, for lack of anything better, as tender for Squadron I. Aboard the barge the boat crews were eating breakfast. The Squadron Duty Officer, Ens. N. E. Ball, USNR, was standing on the edge of the barge. Looking out across Kuahua Island, he saw planes in the sky, and watched them idly for a moment as they started to dive toward Battleship Row and Ford Island just beyond. Then four things happened, almost simultaneously. Ensign Ball recognized Japanese insignia on the wingtips; a chief petty officer at his elbow remarked, "They look like Japs"; the first bomb dropped, and Ensign Ball plunged into the messhall, shouting, "MAN THE GUNS!"

PT's in those days were lightly gunned -- two pairs of .50-caliber machine-guns mounted in power-driven turrets, but in a matter of seconds all were firing. Joy Van Zyll de Jong, GM1c, and George B. Huffman, TM1c, who had been sitting on the deck of PT 23, got a slight head start on the men from the messhall. They vaulted into the 23 boat's turrets and claimed first blood with hits on a low-flying plane carrying one torpedo, which crashed in flames near Kuahua Island. They also hit a torpedo plane flying over Magazine Point. It burst into flames and fell near Halawa, behind the Submarine Base.

Across Southeast Loch from the Submarine Base, about halfway to Ford Island, the other six boats of the squadron were being loaded aboard the USS Ramapo, an oiler, for shipment to the Philippines. PT's 27, 29, 30, and 42 were in cradles resting on the Ramapo's deck. PT's 26 and 28 were in cradles on the dock beneath the huge hammerhead crane which had been about to hoist them aboard the oiler. To reduce fire hazard during shipment, the gasoline tanks of all six PT's had been blanketed with carbon dioxide. Consequently the crews could not start the gasoline engines to compress the air which in turn forced oil through cylinders to move the power turrets. The boat crews quickly cut the hydraulic lines, freeing the turrets from the brake of residual hydraulic pressure. Then each pair of .50-caliber machine-guns went into action with a four-man crew: one man to fire the guns, two men to slew the turrets around by hand, and an officer to direct and coordinate the slewing and firing. The Ramapo's guns were firing, too. Though her starboard 3-inch guns were blanked off by the hammerhead crane on the dock, they managed to fire from time to time, to the acute discomfort of the crews of the PT's in cradles on the dock, whose decks were just high enough to catch the muzzle blast. One bomb struck near the port bow of the Ramapo, midway between the repair ship Rigel in the berth ahead and the heavy cruiser New Orleans opposite. The PT's, undamaged, poured out more than 4,000 rounds of .50 caliber. They appeared to be hitting Japanese planes, but so many ships were firing simultaneously that it would be futile to attempt to make specific claims.

Jerry PT658 Portland

Total Posts: 1469 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm | IP Logged

Shaneo2

Advanced Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Shaneo2  Posted on: Dec 7, 2010 - 3:07pm
Thank you for the your service to all the veterans of WW-II whom may visit this board.

On Rendova Island, in the Solomon Islands, along the East facing side of the island just a couple miles from the old PT base area, is a village called Egholi. In the jungle less the a quarter mile from the village- near the local gardens is a large crater in the jungle floor- in and around that crater are the remains of a USAAF B-17 bomber that was shot down in September of 1942.

The pilot and some members of that crew were aboard another USAAF B-17 on 12/07/1941 coming into Oahu as the Japanese were attacking, the pilot manage to land that B-17 (which was badly damaged) and saved the wounded crew aboard. He was awarded a medal for this act (If I recall a DFC).

That pilot later lost his life in this crash along with eight other brave American KIA. The wreck has remained a forgotten bit of war debris until we were able to put up a small memorial plaque at the site on Veterans Day 2009. The plaque listed the crew's names and home States and finished with the words:

"Help us be worthy of their sacrifice"

If you are ever in the area of Central Solomons doing research, or PT boat tourism, please feel free to stop in a visit the wreck site and thank these men for their service.


Total Posts: 147 | Joined: Apr 17, 2008 - 10:19pm | IP Logged

Randy Finfrock

Advanced Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Randy Finfrock   Send Email To Randy Finfrock Posted on: Dec 7, 2010 - 3:57pm
Your words "Help us be worthy of their sacrifice" says it all. A beautiful tribute to those who gave their all.

Randy Finfrock

Total Posts: 97 | Joined: Nov 27, 2006 - 6:21pm | 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: Dec 8, 2010 - 5:51am
Shane;
Your commemorative plaque honoring Capt. Robert Richards and the crew of STINGAREE B-17 E 41-9071 is a very honorable gesture. Your closing statement also is on target. May we all strive everyday, to be worthy of thier sacrifice. Keep up the good work!!!
Take care,
TED


Total Posts: 3058 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am | 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: Dec 8, 2010 - 6:07am
Shane
Thanks so much for taking the time to honor these men in this way. A very wonderful gesture on your part. Just curious, were you able to reach any of those Family members of the deceased.............


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