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 Author  Topic: PT 109 Painting
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: Jan 2, 2012 - 4:07pm
We will be doing a PT 109 Painting for my Exhibit. My good friend Robert Voorhees, who does my work has offered to paint an oil painting of the boat near the moment of impact. Some time ago, I remember seeing a print that showed where the crew was prior to the accident. I need to send this to Robert so he can paint the crew at whatever areas they were in. Anyone remember this and or where I can see it again.


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Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Jan 2, 2012 - 6:39pm
Frank,

The only "print" (actually a line drawing of the deck, seen from above) I've ever seen listing the positions of the 109 crew at the moment of impact with the Amagiri was in the book "Lt. John F. Kennedy - Expendable!" by Chandler Whipple, published in 1964.

Whipple's diagram has the crew in the following positions (from bow to stern). Some words are his *, some are mine (in parenthesis).

- Ross - forward as lookout and trying to bring jury-rigged Army 37-mm field gun to bear *
- Starkey - presumed helping with Army gun *
- Johnston - on starboard deck, forward of (forward) torpedo* (tube).
- Kennedy - at wheel* (in cockpit)
- Maguire - beside Kennedy* (to Kennedy's right)
- Thom - posted beside cockpit* (to Maguire's right)
- Mauer - posted beside Thom* (to rear of & between Maguire & Thom)
- Marney - at (in) forward (starboard) turret*
- Zinser - presumed at cockpit* (on port deck between forward tube & cockpit)
- Harris - at (in) port (aft) 50-gun mount*
- McMahon - in engine room, the only man below decks*
- Albert - at after gun turret* (20-mm gun)
- Kirksey - presumed at aft starboard torpedo "ready to hit it with a hammer in case it failed to go off"*

I'm a little skeptical of the positioning in Whipple's diagram, instead preferring the positions of the crew as described by Robert J. Donovan in his book "PT 109 - John F. Kennedy in World War II:"

"Ensign Ross was standing on the foredeck by the 37-millimeter gun...behind him was Kennedy at the wheel...at the skipper's right was Maguire and just beyond and above Maguire was Marney in the forward gun turret...on the skipper's left, outside the cockpit, was Ensign Thom, lying on the deck...standing behind the cockpit was Mauer...Albert was on watch amidships...Harris, off duty, was sleeping on the deck between the dayroom canopy and a starboard torpedo tube...McMahon was on watch in the engine room...Johnston was dozing on the starboard side of the deck near the engine room hatch...Zinser was standing close by...Starkey was the lookout in the after gun turret...Kirksey, off duty, was lying aft on the starboard side."

So, Whipple shows a printed diagram, Donovan writes a description. I think Donovan's is probably more accurate, as he extensively interviewed all the crew (besides Kirksey, Marney, and Albert, of course), but..?



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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: Jan 2, 2012 - 7:25pm
Thanks very much Drew. I will try and find a shot of the diagram in that book, and will get Robert to depict as best he can what you have written in this post on canvas.


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Jeff D

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Jan 3, 2012 - 5:40am
Here's the crew positions from a Navy report:





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Steve Sobieralski

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Steve Sobieralski  Posted on: Jan 3, 2012 - 6:32am
Frank,

There is also a painting in Ballard's book Collision with History that shows the crew locations.

Steve


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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: Jan 3, 2012 - 7:06am
Thanks guys very much. This information will be very helpful when Robert begins the Oil painting.....................


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Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Jan 3, 2012 - 9:43pm
Frank,

Steve is right -- I totally forgot about the color illustration on pages 84-85 of Ballard's "Collision With History" book.

I haven't cross-checked the crew locations with Whipple's or Donovan's books, but apparently the illustration omitted crew member Bucky Harris.


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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: Jan 4, 2012 - 1:40am
Drew

Thanks for the heads up. I will check the book later today, as I picked it up late last night at Barnes and Noble. I just didn't have time to look at it yet.............


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