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Topic: Researching PT-156 of MTB RON 9 |
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smallwi
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Feb 24, 2024 - 4:14pm
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All:
The original photograph is definitely an early 80 foot boat. Reference the small rotating deck vent in front of the crew members on the starboard side. The 50 cal mount sits forward as well and the foundations are in place for the torpedo tubes. Agree that all RON 9 boats carried the 20mm in leu of the standard twin 50 cal. PT 356 is likely. She carried racks and the foundations for tubes when first built.
Bill
Bill Smallshaw |
Total Posts: 141 | Joined:
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TheBridge
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 26, 2024 - 2:09pm
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I would agree the first photo is very early shot.
1. The boats overall appearance is too new looking - factory fresh. No scratch or wear marks are visible
2. The clear plex window would have been over on Tulagi.
3. The forward turret may have had 50-cal guns when built but weee replaced with the 20-mm gun as part of CMDR Kelly’s ‘experiment’ to put a larger caliber gun in the forward turret.
4. The crew is too clean looking to have see any action?
5 are we looking across the Hudson (i.e. Bayonne NJ) in this photo? Crews we selected/assembled dockside in NYC.
Bridge |
Total Posts: 319 | Joined:
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TheBridge
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 26, 2024 - 6:22pm
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I would agree the first photo is very early shot.
1. The boats overall appearance is too new looking - factory fresh. No scratch or wear marks are visible
2. The clear plex window would have been over on Tulagi.
3. The forward turret may have had 50-cal guns when built but weee replaced with the 20-mm gun as part of CMDR Kelly’s ‘experiment’ to put a larger caliber gun in the forward turret.
4. The crew is too clean looking to have see any action?
5 are we looking across the Hudson (i.e. Bayonne NJ) in this photo? Crews we selected/assembled dockside in NYC.
Bridge |
Total Posts: 319 | Joined:
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TheBridge
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 26, 2024 - 6:32pm
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You can request copies of original PT log books from the National Archives (NARA). My contact (10-years ago) who knew all about PT records on the archive was Nathaniel Patch:
nathaniel.patch@nara.gov
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TED WALTHER |
TOP BOSS
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 Posted on: Feb 28, 2024 - 3:19pm
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Jerry;
Your sneaking suspicion is correct that is a photo of PT 356 RON 27. Not PT 156.
Also LT Michael Pessolano USN (USNA Class of 1942) was RON 9 Executive Officer under Bob Kelly. He was also the skipper of PT 155. The color photo is not Pessolano on PT 156 with Kelly, it’s Bud Liebenow skipper of PT 157, which Kelly is on.
On a sad note, after Pessolano succeeded Kelly as CO of RON 9, his next assignment was USS Indianapolis (CA-35). He was killed when the ship was torpedoed. It is not known (as for my research), if he made it off the ship and into the water or not.
Take care,
TED
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/MICHAEL_R._PESSOLANO,_LT,_USN
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smallwi
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Feb 28, 2024 - 7:45pm
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Bridge,
Nathaniel is a great help. However, all log books are currently unavailable. The good news they are being digitized, will start showing up online in the not so distant future.
Bill Smallshaw |
Total Posts: 141 | Joined:
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TheBridge
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Mar 1, 2024 - 5:34am
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Bill,
Excellent news about digitizing the log books! It was a real time consuming process the ‘manual way’.
This will preserve the original log books (i.e. less handling by the NARA researcher) and make access much, much quicker…and possibly (hopefully)accessible to us all on line of that’s their next step in this process.
Bridge |
Total Posts: 319 | Joined:
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