Author |
Topic: Would boats fly their flag on night patrol? |
|
David Waples
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Feb 13, 2017 - 5:57am
|
I have a question for you all. I'm wondering if the crews would fly the flag on night patrol? I certainly see it during the day but don't have any references for evening operations.
Dave
David Waples |
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined:
Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm | IP
Logged
|
|
CJ Willis
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Feb 13, 2017 - 7:32am
|
David: We never took our flag down day or night. It was up until the wind whipped the stripes down to about 6 inches long from the blue field then we would replace the flag. I brought home one of these flags from 242. It's in the museum in Boston.
C. J. Willis |
Total Posts: 464 | Joined:
Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm | IP
Logged
|
|
Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Feb 13, 2017 - 2:00pm
|
C.J.,
Did you fly the flag from the flagstaff on the stern, or the mast behind the cockpit?
|
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined:
Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am | IP
Logged
|
|
CJ Willis
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Feb 13, 2017 - 4:51pm
|
We flew it from the radar mast just under the ball..
C. J. Willis |
Total Posts: 464 | Joined:
Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm | IP
Logged
|
|
David Waples
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Feb 13, 2017 - 7:01pm
|
CJ,
That's exactly what I needed to know. Thanks so much.
Dave
David Waples |
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined:
Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm | IP
Logged
|
|
StorkClub
New Member
|
Posted on: Feb 17, 2017 - 2:58pm
|
Any chance you recall what size the flag was? Did you fly 5x9 foot ensigns?
In memory of my grandfather,
Russell Joseph Klein
RM3c, USNR
Ron 15 and Ron 36
PT 527 |
Total Posts: 8 | Joined:
Feb 16, 2017 - 11:34am | IP
Logged
|
|
Andy Small
MASTER
|
Posted on: Feb 17, 2017 - 3:36pm
|
Size 11 was used (2.37 x 4.50)
|
Total Posts: 259 | Joined:
Nov 20, 2013 - 9:04pm | IP
Logged
|
|
|
Jerry Gilmartin |
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Feb 18, 2017 - 2:03pm
|
Before he took his "last patrol", I spoke to our Maury Hooper of PT238 Higgins RON 20 and he said they flew their flag from the radio antenna. They flew the largest size flag they could to avoid being mistaken as a Japanese boat by our illustrious fighter pilots. Several "friendly fire" incidents involving PT Boats happened during the war in the Pacific. Here is a photo showing the flag flying from the radio antenna. I don't know what size it was but it was much larger than what could be flown from the radar mast, This is the same reason the crews would paint a large white US Star on the decks so you could see it from the air. This may have only been something that was done on the Higgins boats, since the Elco radar mast was mounted up higher on top of the Day Room canopy and presented less of an obstacle to vision for the skipper at the helm than did the flag mounted on the Higgins Radar mast.
Jerry
PT238 off Palawan 1945
PT254
Possibly PT238 hard to read number
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR |
Total Posts: 1469 | Joined:
Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm | IP
Logged
|
|
Will Day
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Feb 18, 2017 - 3:40pm
|
Yeah, I have pictures of the 247 boat, among others, with the flag flying at night.
Will |
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined:
Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm | IP
Logged
|
|
Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Feb 18, 2017 - 6:19pm
|
Jerry,
Great shots of 78' Higgins PTs at sea "in the forward area." Thanks for posting them!
|
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined:
Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am | IP
Logged
|
|