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 Author  Topic: Checkerboard Fanny - Squadron No.?
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: Aug 24, 2012 - 2:51pm
Frank;
I am sure this was mounted just for test and evaluation purposes. But if you think about it, you could probably "aquire" a 100 round box of 8MM ammo for a few cartons of Chesterfields and a box of Hersey bars.
Take care,
TED


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newsnerd99

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Aug 27, 2012 - 7:59am
I bet you wouldn't even need to trade...I bet the ammo was sitting around the Italian naval facilities or warehouses that were captured.

I find it interesting that the gun was mounted pre-Spring 1944. The photos of the build up after Spring 1944 show .30 MG's mounted to the boat behind the roll-off racks fitted to the boats for Elba, So. France, etc. Great pictures!

As for the checkerboard - the 204 was the lead boat on a lot of 3 boat patrols, so it would make sense to try it out on her rear end. There are more than one mention of Ron15 boats getting lost or out of formation on night patrols.

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

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Will Day

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: Aug 27, 2012 - 10:41am
Not sure how well the checkerboad stern would show up, especially at night.

I've looked at all my pics of other Ron 15 boats and don't see any unusual stern markings on any of them. So far, this is a pretty cool mystery - lol

Will

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Nuge210

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Nuge210   Send Email To Nuge210 Posted on: Aug 27, 2012 - 1:42pm
I asked Charlie Dewey, who was Ron 15s civilian Radar Tech, about the checkerboard pattern. He didn't remember anything like that, and I know he sailed on many of the boats out of La Maddalena, Sardinia.

Yea, Will, a nice little mystery.

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: Aug 28, 2012 - 1:42am
As far as the Italian gun on the boat, I wonder why it was added, unless there was a short supply of our own .30 caliber stingers. I am not sure if any other weapons of the enemy were ever added to the PT BOATS on other boats, as I never really looked for it. That checkerboard fanny might just be what i said in my earlier post, a way to form up on the lead boat in the dark, a great mystery though.............


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ducati650

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of ducati650   Send Email To ducati650 Posted on: Aug 28, 2012 - 4:49am
Could it be the checkerboard pattern was a tarp of some sort used just to let other boats know there was a boat in the dry dock?


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Will Day

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: Aug 28, 2012 - 7:07am
Maybe it's the squadron "party boat".

Will

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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: Aug 29, 2012 - 2:35pm
For now, until proven otherwise, I am going with the formation Identification idea, as stated PT 204 was a formation lead boat. This makes the most sense.
Take care,
TED


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