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 Author  Topic: My PT-109 redo reveal
David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Apr 21, 2015 - 9:08pm
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Hi David, was reading about how you re-arranged the ropes for the 37MM gun. This got me thinking. Did the 10i9 crew really expect that the gun would be fired in such a lashed down temporary state? I have read that they got the gun that day and merely lashed it down as deck cargo, basically to keep it from being swiped if left ashore while they were off on the mission.( Apparently scroungers were in plentiful supply in the South Pacific.) OTOH, Barney Ross was reportedly manning the gun to fire it. Would those ropes really hold back that recoil, and would not the spades on each arm of the gun carriage (designed to dig into dirt) actually tear up the deck if fired? Just wondering what others think.

Mike



Hard to know for sure. I'm afraid it's lost to time. Barney Ross said that the wheels were still on the gun. Donovan's account was that the axle was mounted to timbers. Another crewman described coconut logs used. I went with the Donovan description plus how one crewman described the rope configuration. I thought it would be a nice tribute so we'll leave it at that.

Dave

David Waples

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Frank Andruss

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank Andruss   Send Email To Frank Andruss Posted on: Apr 22, 2015 - 3:18pm
I remember talking with PT-109 Crewmen GERARD ZINSER, who told me their was a gun on the bow, and that it was lashed to the deck, but that was all he said about it..................


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  Roy Forbes

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Roy Forbes  Posted on: Apr 22, 2015 - 8:28pm
What color was the gun ??


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Jimmy

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jimmy  Posted on: Apr 23, 2015 - 12:08pm
Dave,
May I ask why you moved the depth charge rack inboard to where the depth charge has to roll across the deck before dropping overboard?

Jimmy


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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: Apr 23, 2015 - 9:10pm
Hi Jimmy
The depth charge rack was away from the edge of the deck. We have a couple of photos that show this. First this is a photo of PT-109 from the Kennedy family used on Robert Bollard's book jacket.

 photo PT-109cover.jpg

Another poor quality PT-109 photo also showing the depth charge rack inboard

 photo NewPT109atseaphoto-01_zpsysuf8kju.jpg

Boat in foreground of the 61 boat is reported to be PT-109. Based on dates and information from the skipper of PT-61 (Thank you Ted) this should be PT-109. Note the inboard depth charge. I don't think we can get better evidence than this. If only we had a photo of the 37mm on the deck. I guess we can't have everything! :-)

 photo PT61amp109RON32SEARLESVILLERUSSELLISLANDSMAY1943_zpsv67e4mbn.png

David Waples

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