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Topic: The real Todd City |
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29navy
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Oct 23, 2020 - 11:21am
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Greetings all,
I don't know how many of you have a subscription to Naval History magazine (published by the Naval Institute), but I have written an article that is published in the latest edition. [Just came out.]
The topic: The Real Story of Todd City. We had this discussion on here a few years ago about who was Todd City, the PT Base at Rendova, really named after. I've thought about this topic for many years and our latest discussion pushed me to write this, get it published and set the record straight. And what better avenue than Naval History.
Spoiler alert: it wasn't Leon.
I am thrilled and excited to get published in this magazine. I'll see about posting or linking the article here without violating any copyright rules.
Charlie |
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Will Day
TOP BOSS
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 Posted on: Oct 23, 2020 - 1:57pm
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Great, Charlie...
Will |
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Oct 24, 2020 - 2:06am
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Well done Charlie! I hope they let you post it here, I would really enjoy reading it. 
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Nov 23, 2020 - 7:06pm
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Great job Charlie and a piece of history solved.
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Nov 24, 2020 - 9:18am
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Nice Charlie, thanks. I love that painting.
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Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Nov 25, 2020 - 6:59am
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Couldn't read the entire article, it was blocked by a subscription square.
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29navy
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Nov 25, 2020 - 8:24am
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Yes, I know. Strange. I pulled the link from a facebook page that showed the whole article, Then later back at the same link, it was blocked with the subscriber block.
Sorry.
Charlie |
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Shaneo2
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Nov 28, 2020 - 6:37pm
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I look forward to reading the article w/o the pay block someday. Online there is a photo from the article showing some PT pods. What is really interesting (for me), is the how far down that stretch of harbor these boats were located. I always reckoned they all were further out in the deep(er) water of the harbor. Using GE compared to the online photo- one can see almost exactly (within reason) where these particular boats might have been located.
I believe I found a mooring base which consisted of a circle of seemly weighted large size multi-gallon fuel drums that appeared to have once been serving a purpose -this while scuba diving . That is on some of the dives we found the PT boat dorade vent.
Just like the beaching on Lumbari of the 164/117 the direction of the flags shows one some additional probability of which motu they are grounded on by (usual) prevailing winds. In the article photo one can see some of the wind effect on those PT boats also, however due to their proximity to the pass this can also be of some tidal effect.
I crossed into Rendova Harbor in 2008/2009 and 2012, using the reef water area to the north of Lumbari, aboard either a small dive launch or much smaller motor canoe. Having been through reefs and pass's all throughout the South Pacific in my youth I was left wondering why the PT boats could not also use this crossing area(?) -- now, I suspect they may have been able to use that same area- as there would be sufficient depth and just a few coral heads to run around/dodge at high(er) water.
The painting photo is neat also. Notice the wires strung across from tree to tree. Iin the islands you can still find many, many, coconut trees from the WW-II war era. In the 1980's on Guadalcanal you can see shrapnel/bomb damage on some. In other island areas where there was a US base, or presence, you can see the holes in the trunks where the Americans would insert support(s) for the wires ---this still existed on my last visits. I also was shown one tree where a US service member carved his name- this was shown to me by locals.
Also, interesting to note from the painting, is of the tree trunks & how some have white stripes, or markings, this is probably for vehicle transit/direction reasons and low light situations, and also for people walking...the blackness at night in the Solomons has a particular ominousness/dark that is hard to fully describe.
Some items like danforth anchors, ships anchors, the mooring setup etc., I may have mentioned in old posts & someday I reckon they will be "discovered" by some overseas seagoing research group, one whom I already told areas where they should to look, sooooo someday hopefully they let you all know of *their discoveries* and give you some photos to look at lol...
On Lumbari Island in 1981, there were two US jeeps and a US amphibious jeep body which still had USA painted on the side, but they are no longer there now.
In 2009 on a dive break/interval I was shown that you can sit in the sand (on Lumbari) and reach your hands down into the sand and come up with dime/nickel size steamer clams- we gathered some & one local got: 117 clams and the other 164 clams...ok, just kidding about the division of the spoils, but not finding the clams.
Post covid/wuhan coronavirus panic, some of you researching etc., better get out to the islands there-- people are picking over, scrapping, gathering for later sell on E-bay, or moving stuff all around for local personal "museums" etc., and pretty soon there will be nothing left to see, or you will pay a kastom fee & get to see an old bullet and a beer bottle.
Good Luck- sorry about the spelling, bit tired from some riding and the reply box is a bit small. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving considering everything.
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Nov 29, 2020 - 5:00am
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Thank you Shaneo, you've had some awesome adventures in life! I remember the Elco vent you found, very cool and still in good shape.
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