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Frank J Andruss Sr

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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: Nov 24, 2011 - 12:17pm
Dave

because the shells needed to be clipped, meaning there were 4 rounds attached to a clip, they were usually ready for the loaders to hit the breech.The ready can you showed, was used as a shipment platform for the rounds, but were too small to hold the rounds in their clips. The wooden ammo lockers in some of the shots, held the rounds with their clips at the ready. They did not have to reach in, and try to secure the rounds to the clips, as this would have taken too long. The racks,, held the rounds already in their clips, so loaders could just pass each clipped shells to the breech and fire them as fast as the gun could be loaded.........


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29navy

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of 29navy  Posted on: Nov 24, 2011 - 1:32pm
Actually, the rounds in the cannisters were clipped, just not real easy to reach in and grab. We've got some on the batleship NORTH CAROLINA. I'm going down there next weekend. I can take a picture of the inside of the cannister is you'd like.

Charlie

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TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Nov 24, 2011 - 1:48pm
Frank;
In your post of Nov 24, 2011 - 7:42am, you are more than likely correct. This is why the first boat to be painted in the adapter scheme was PT 139. This is also why the first boat with a thunderbolt quad 20mm was PT 138, the second thunderbolt was mounted on PT 160, this one had 4 20mm and 2 .50 caliber M2's. This is also why the first boat with a bow mounted 40mm was PT 174. how RON 8 and 7 boats were first to test SCR-517 radar units and deploy with them. MK12 scarf ring mount in RON 10's boats. PT 334 of RON 24 was first to test a 75mm M4 on the stern. For a number of these test situations, they just picked a boat, and that was it. As for PT 196, my reason for them creating "ELCOPUSS" is for the simple reason, that the Japanese originally called all PT Boats "The Green Dragons", The sea monster that at night sailed in fast, flapped its wings, fired torpedoes then flew away into the darkness. As a one off The scheme does look good in both colors, but I think it was two tone gray, and it was just a publicity opportunity, it was never intended to go into the combat zone like that.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING,
TED
P.S. the external fuel cell, just happened to be developed during the same period, so it was tested with PT 196.


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  Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Nov 24, 2011 - 1:52pm
Hi Frank,
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY! Charlie is correct as usual. We have four of these cans on board PT658 stored inside our RSL just fwd of the 40mm Bofors gun mount. It holds 16 rounds of 40mm Bofors ammo already in the 4 round clips. I looked and do not have a photo showing the interior of the can. Sorry! I do however, have some photos (posted below) showing both the racks that hold the 40mm amoo as well as wooden box that holds 4 round clips. Both Elco and Higgins used both types of holders. The ammo cans retain the 4 round clip by a little metal tab that you must push aside when grabbing the clip. This allows you to lift the 4 round clip up and out of the ammo can. View the photos below to see the different types of ammo clip racks on different PT Boats. Jerry PT658

PT588 with tilted rack for ammo cans



PT309 showing wooden RSL holding 4 round clips



PT209 showing a couiple of 40mm ammo cans secured next to mount



PT171 Cas Milewski showing 40mm ammo cans on tilted rack



PT127 (*Bob Douglas collection) showing 40mm ammo cans



PT127 (Bob Douglas collection) showing metal rack for holding 40mm ammo cans next to 40mm mount



PT365 ammo rack showing 4 round clips held in wooden rack (usually represented covered with canvas) Kenny Morris collection







Jerry Gilmartin

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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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: Nov 24, 2011 - 2:57pm
Thanks Guys for correcting me. I thought the cans were only for the shipment and storage of the rounds without clips. I can see from the photo's however, it must have been a little tough trying to reach in and grab the rounds in this manner. I am glad that I was corrected, and thanks for the heads up.........................


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  TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Nov 24, 2011 - 4:15pm
Frank;
Yes as Charlie said it was difficult to reach in and grab a clip. In 1995, I was in Salinas, Ecuador and we were on an NSW MTT(Naval Special Warfare Mobile Training Team). We were prepping for a gun shoot with the host nation gunboats, and myself and 3 others were on a Ecuadorian PG(US 1944-45 vintage). The crew was showing us the forward 40mm, and in Spanish we were kidding around with them asking if their 40mm would work for them the following day. Well a Ecuadorian crew member, who was the lead gunners mate, decides to show us how fast his crew could work the gun. They swing into action in front of us, and go to mock action stations, the loader goes to the ready storage box, whips out one of these cans, opens it up, grabs a clip which is stuck, then pulls as hard as he can and he looses his grip. The 4 round clip flies out of the box, up about 7-8 feet in the air, and slams on the deck. I lok at one of my guys BM2 Morales(who was mild complexion Puerto Rica) and his eyes were as wide as Kennedy half dollars and he was as white as a sheet. I just started laughing, when I stopped, I said "Morales I know you were scared Sh_-less, but doi you really want to see something?" I grabbed the clip and I handed to the Ecuadorian Seaman, and asked him to take the rounds out of the clip and let me look at one of the rounds. Just as I suspected, "He Morales, look at this, he came over and I showed him, the round had 1943 stamped in the bottom, in fact 3 out of the 4 rounds were 1943, the fourth was 1944." Morales was like "Wholly Sh@#! lets get ooff this thing"!
That was really a very funny day, I am laughing about it as I write this, thanks for reminding me with this thread!
Take care,
TED


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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Nov 24, 2011 - 4:50pm
Thanks everyone and thank you Jerry for posting these great pictures. Nice view of the 40mm in the RSL. I'm seeing so much in them. Resourceful guys these PT Boat sailors.

Charlie, I would love to see photos of how these containers were packed. I'll look forward to seeing those!
Dave

David Waples

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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Nov 24, 2011 - 4:52pm
Thanks everyone and thank you Jerry for posting these great pictures. Nice view of the 40mm in the RSL. I'm seeing so much in them. Resourceful guys these PT Boat sailors.

Charlie, I would love to see photos of how these containers were packed. I'll look forward to seeing those!
Dave

David Waples

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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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: Nov 24, 2011 - 6:18pm
Ted

Thanks so much for that funny story. Can you imagine seeing 1943 stamped onto the ammo your going to use in a fight. I think I might run myself...........


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TGConnelly

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Nov 25, 2011 - 6:28am
FYI ...

My source thinks the 196 was, like me, in greens but I'm waiting for them to give me a more definitive answer (and proof) so I can posted without being pounced on in a dogpile effect.

They also believe that MS 14 was incorrect as well.


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