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 Author  Topic: how do I find mys Dad's Boat?
Wayne Smith

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Aug 4, 2007 - 8:43pm
My Dad just died at the Buffalo NY Va hospital and he never talked about the war, he was stationed in the Pacific theater on a pt boat. while in the hosp in early 1945 his Boat went on patrol and all hands were lost ( story was told to me by his sister) I would like to get any info I can on his Boat and service, his Name was John B. Smith from Buffalo New York.............thanks ....Wayne Smith ( son)


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Gary Szot

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Gary Szot   Send Email To Gary Szot Posted on: Aug 5, 2007 - 9:49am
Hi Wayne;

I would hate to speculate without more info but the dates you gave don't jive with any losses. There were no enemy inflicted losses on a PT in 1945.

The closest date I can put together belongs to PT 300. On December 18,1944 the 300 was on patrol off of Mindoro Island when it was attacked and sunk by a Kamikaze pilot.


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alross2

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of alross2   Send Email To alross2 Posted on: Aug 5, 2007 - 11:59am
Bulkley (AT CLOSE QUARTERS) lists four PTs lost in 1945:

PT73 - grounded and destroyed to prevent capture, Baliquias Bay, PI, 1/15/45
PT77 - friendly fire, Luzon, PI, 2/1/45
PT79 - friendly fire, Luzon, PI, 2/1/45
PT338 - grounded 1/27/45, destroyed as a result, Semirara Island, PI, 1/31/45

Bulkley indicates that only three men were lost on 77 and 79, none on 73 nor 338,

73, 77, 79 were 78' Higgins; 338 was an 80' ELCO.

Al Ross


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Gary Szot

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Gary Szot   Send Email To Gary Szot Posted on: Aug 5, 2007 - 5:53pm
You might want to ask Bill Manly of this message board. He seems to have all the statisics.

The only other possibility is PT 323 who was attacked by a Kamikaze on 12-10-44 in Leyte Gulf.


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Wayne Smith

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Aug 5, 2007 - 6:54pm
thanks for the reply , I waded through some of dads papers and found his discharge sheet which says he was on the USS Orestes agp-10 a Pt Boat Tender looking up internet sources that tell me it was bombed by Kamikazes ( val bomber) Dec 30 1944 on the way to Mindoro he was discharged march 1945 from US Fleet hosp #109 after first going to US Naval Hosp #14...doesn't say why he was in the hosp but the dates seem to fit......interesting stuff........thanks again all......Wayne.


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Aug 6, 2007 - 6:01am
Wayne
I believe the Tender was actually hit by a Jap plane that had crashed into her starboard side. The Tender was in Mangarin Bay on the morning of December 30th when this happened.

The planes bombs exploded in the ship and caused crewmembers to be blown overboard. Flames spread quickly and even the ready ammo on deck started to expode. When all was said and done, 6 Officers and 14 men were killed, 37 were missing and 7 Officers and 86 men were wounded. PT boats came along side to help take off the wounded men despite the chance of 37,000 gallons of high octain fuel exploding. It took over one and one half hours to fight the fire and bring the flames under control..............


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Wayne Smith

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Aug 6, 2007 - 8:28pm
Thanks Frank, that was more info then I could find, any info on sources would be appreciated......I found a picture online of the ammo ship blowing up in that convoy killing the entire crew ( SS John Burke) can't imagine what it must have been like to see that......................thanks again ....Wayne .... oh btw my dad was a F2c ( Fireman second class)


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Ray Wilbur

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Aug 7, 2007 - 4:08am
Check out this website. Not sure what you'll find.

http://www.valortours.com/cgi-bin/boardposting.cgi?id=165


Ray

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