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 Author  Topic: Green Island Tragedy
MN Gal

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of MN Gal   Send Email To MN Gal Posted on: May 12, 2013 - 5:05am
As I am putting together the time my father in-law was on the 156.
I came across a question I would like to present to the board.
The Green Island Tragedy: April 28-29,1944
That 24 PT crew members were either killed or missing and 25 wounded in a tragic case of mistaken identity.

I was wondering about this, In my research of my father in-laws time line. Ron 9 left Treasury for Green Island on May 1,1944.
Do you think that was a result of the tragedy or was that move planned well in advance of the tragedy?

Just wondering.

Julie





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Gary Paulsen

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Gary Paulsen   Send Email To Gary Paulsen Posted on: May 12, 2013 - 7:22am
Julie
Not sure if you have seen this sight.
http://www.seabees93.net/GI%20Green%20Island%206th%20ED.htm
It mentions a friendly fire incident on Apr 27 that sank PT's 346 and 347 from Ron 25 with a loss of 19. Is this what you are referring to?
Gary


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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: May 12, 2013 - 7:36am
Julie;
It was planned, targets in this area were becoming few and far between, so it was decided that all PT's in Solomons area be shifted to New Guinea waters to be more profitably employed and eventually assist in repatriating the Philippines. All command and control was shifted to Supreme Allied Commander, Southwest Pacific, who was General Douglas MacArthur. The PT's fell under direct command of Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid, Commander Seventh Fleet. Once the landings in the Philippines occurred, all PT's still remaining in the Northern Solomons (RON 5, 11, 20, and 23) were transferred to Commander Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Seventh Fleet in Dec 1944.
Tulagi, which was still a staging and repair base and RON 31 passed through with USS Acontius in October 1944, RON 37 with Silenus in November 1944, RON 32 in December 1944, they worked their way up the chain to Treasury for combat training , making patrols off Bougainville and Choiseul, but Commodore Moran discontinued patrols and they all headed west to relive other Squadrons. February 15, 1945 RON 32 and 37 departed with Silenus, with final destination being Okinawa.
Take care,
TED
P.S. This stage of the PT story is a little confusing to me also, as VADM Kinkaid COMSEVENTHFLT, wanted to have PT's remain in Solomons for as long as necessary, but COMMTBSEVENTHFLT was a Commander(O-5), Commander Selman S. Bowling. and VADM Kinkaid could not give a Commodore(O-7) a subordinate command, so Commodore Moran was named Commander Allied Naval Forces Northern Solomons Area and Commander Task Group 70.8, this gave Moran control of everything from PT's to a Squadron of Destroyers. Later he was also made COMMTBRONSPACFLT. in actuality, he had about 3 titles at once. To make matters even more distorted they also had a thing called Operational and Administrative command and control. I am sure, the average swab jockey on a PT Boat really didn't know or really care who was in overall command, all they knew was their Skipper and Squadron Commander.


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MN Gal

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of MN Gal   Send Email To MN Gal Posted on: May 14, 2013 - 6:08am
Gary, Yes, that was the one I was talking about. I don't think those numbers on the dead and missing are right though. I have since read other articles about that incident. Thank you for that link too.

Ted, thank you for all your information.
I am happy to know the answer to that question. That the move had nothing to do with the tragedy.

thank you.
Julie


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