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 Author  Topic: New photo of PT 109 under JFK comes to light
Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Jun 13, 2013 - 5:37pm
OK guys, hold on to your hats --

I have just seen a new, previously unpublished and historically priceless photo of the seventh PT 103-class 80' Elco PT boat, yes the famous -- some would say infamous -- PT 109, while under the command of the future President of the United States, Lt. (j.g.) John F. Kennedy.

I've long thought there were probably other, previously unpublished photos of PT 109 that hadn't seen the light of day, and apparently, there are!

The incredible photo I'm talking about is in the newly-published book "Listening In - The Secret White House Recordings of John F. Kennedy," on page 279.

The photo, taken from a starboard obilque angle, shows an excellent, unobstructed, and FULL LENGTH shot of the 109 running at sea, with a low coastline in the back ground and another (moored?) PT or two to aft. The boat is in the exact same configuration seen in the well-known and badly damaged (black spots and smears) photo of the 109 at sea, in which all you can see is the forepart of the boat from the port .50-cal turret forward.

I can't tell, of course, if the photo was taken at Tulagi, in the Russells, or at Rendova.

Yep, this great full length photo shows the 109's depth charge on the foredeck, the high rear cockpit armor, the canvas-skirted port aft turret, her (unshielded) 20 mm gun, pointing straight up, and -- NO MAST (although because of this, I'm positive someone will loudly and repeatedly declare that "we can't be sure this is the 109").

The credit for this photo is listed in the book as "The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston." I've had a hunch for years that those folks at the JFK Library & Museum were sitting on previously unpublished photos of PT 109. Hunch confirmed.

I will try to scan this photo into my computer's Pictures file, and send it to Dick, who can then work his magic and post it here for all of us to see.




The best I could do, wasn't much to work with. It was clearly a printed photo that was rescanned and printed again for the new publication. then you add another rescan and now its impossible to retrieve any pixel data. Dick . . . . .

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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: Jun 14, 2013 - 8:36am
OUTSTANDING!!!!
I also agree with you, there has to be more photos out there somewhere. If not fro the Kennedy time frame, from the Westholm/Larson time frame, I feel there should be at least 2-3 other photos of the Northampton crew rescue, at least a closer photo. I am sure the must be some ELCO photos of her too. The photo of the carpenter guys working on the 80' cabin for instance, you can see written on the side in grease pencil/china marke the numbers 3360, that is for ELCO Hull Number 3360, which became Earl's beloved PT 108! Who knows, we shall see.
Take care,
TED


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Bob Butler

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Bob Butler  Posted on: Jun 14, 2013 - 10:45am
may i ask, what color?


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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: Jun 14, 2013 - 11:14am
Drew,
Are these the ones? Jerry







Jerry Gilmartin

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PeterTareBuilder2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of PeterTareBuilder2  Posted on: Jun 14, 2013 - 12:17pm
STA ANNNNN!

Please build Frank a dio of the 109 at the dock. ;<)

Wow! Look at all those neat details. Bumpers. Note the rake of the gun tub guards.

Those are very interesting image.

Thanks for posting them.

Cheers from Peter



"Give me a fast boat for we want to get out of harm's way too."

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PeterTareBuilder2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of PeterTareBuilder2  Posted on: Jun 14, 2013 - 12:17pm
STA ANNNNN!

Please build Frank a dio of the 109 at the dock. ;<)

Wow! Look at all those neat details. Bumpers. Note the rake of the gun tub guards.

Those are very interesting image.

Thanks for posting them.

Cheers from Peter



"Give me a fast boat for we want to get out of harm's way too."

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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: Jun 14, 2013 - 12:46pm
I call BS!

Nice spot Drew.



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earl

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of earl  Posted on: Jun 14, 2013 - 3:00pm
hi drew/ thank you so much.excellent researching.there must be,as you said, many more photos out there.
LOOKS LIKE TULAGI, not sure earl

earl richmond

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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: Jun 14, 2013 - 3:03pm
Thanks, Jeff, Ted, and Earl, and thanks to Dick for posting the photo.

The photo isn't the clearest, of course, but you can squint through the fuzz and see the overall configuration of the boat, confirming several details that have been discussed over the years, such as the depth charge (which looks very close to the edge of the deck), the lack of a mast, what I've always called the "high box" of the cockpit armor, the definite four torpedo tubes-setup, and the aft 20 mm gun without an armor shield.


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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: Jun 14, 2013 - 5:43pm
Jerry,
Why are you trying to confuse people! :-)
Dave

David Waples

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