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Topic: Patroling with a Whale |
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CJ Willis
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jun 13, 2007 - 11:04am
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The summer of 1944 we were patroling out of the Green Island Base and P.T. 242 was sent to patrol the north coast of Bougainville. We made the 2 hour run arriving on station at dusk. We patroled for some time, idling along the coast. We lookouts with binoculars were scanning the beach for anything moving. It was a beautiful moonlight night, calm sea, hardly any wind. (rare) The moon beams were shining on the ripples in the water. One of the lookouts spotted a whale that had surfaced between us and the beach about 15-20 yds.from the boat. He was traveling right along with us. He would submerge then reappear sometimes pretty close to the boat. He was big almost as wide as the boat. Occasionally he would exhale and blow quite a spout of water. He traveled with us as we idled along and played around the boat most of the night. I guess he needed company. We didn't see a bit of enemy activity that night. It was just too peaceful and tranquil for the War to interfere that particular night. I am sure other boats had experiences with whales but this was the only encounter I had on the 85 nightly patrols which I made aboard PT 242.
C. J. Willis |
Total Posts: 464 | Joined:
Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm | IP
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