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Topic: PT 164 Rendova Harbor |
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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 Posted on: May 23, 2008 - 4:02pm
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Ted
Lets get the pictures on the message board. I would love to see the old PT BOAT BUILDINGS...............
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Shaneo2
Advanced Member
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Posted on: May 23, 2008 - 9:19pm
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On the photo's of old PT buildings etc., I can then reference with Google Earth and try to take photo's of any sites still left today- on my planned trip this Fall.
Again -any old photo's of PT's moored in the bay between Lambari and Bau Islands, would be great for reference shots, for my future photo's.
Regards,
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David Buck
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: May 24, 2008 - 6:04am
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Hi, shaneo2 greetings to another late nite owl. The photos are great i think though your DUKW is the hull of an anphib. jeep. Haveing traveled on an original DUKW i can say the one in the photo looks a little short.
I have an interest in the 117 boat so after seeing the piece come up on the notice board i did a little checking re. location and Dive shops,flights ect. As you have said Munda Dive is able to acces Rendover and a trip could be arranged to visit. I have yet to email the Dive shop, but it seems they are always on the look out for new dive sites and have found a number of them while looking for WW11 history in the Rendover area. This includes looking for the P.T. Boats which they to date have not found according to their internet site.
I don't know where you are in the world and if you are in the U.S. i may be a little closer as i live in Sydney Australia. Looking at a map of Rendover Harbour Lumbari Is. is a little south and a little west of Bau Is. but where the base was and where the boats or whats left of them, will be a search and discover trip that could take a fair time with the help of Munda Dive.
Yours D.B.
D.buck |
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Shaneo2
Advanced Member
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Posted on: May 24, 2008 - 11:21am
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Dave,
Your right it is an amphib. jeep, I learned that off other folks who referenced this post just to look at the photo.
I have sent a email to the dive shop and got a one reply, but there seems to be a lapse in the follow-up questions I have had, I am sure they are very busy, and internet may not be the best....? I will keep trying as I have several questions I need to check further into.
There are several problems with the area, one being the charts. In 1981 we had a nice chart of Rendova Harbor (long since sold), now both the US and BA charts are large scale and next to worthless, for soundings etc.
Also since the PT base is not my primary mission, it has been hard (even on this site to get alittle better layout of the the base area). I have had better luck with Google and doing it myself, with limited resourse'es right now.
The Naval Archives web site is probaly the slowest I ever encountered in receent memory....it all is good fun though.
Any other input of the area you may have through friends or memory let me know through this site....also meant to ask were you in the Munda/Rendova area recently ?
Regards,
Shane
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David Buck
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: May 27, 2008 - 6:45am
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Hi, Shaneo2 interesting comment on Munda Dive however when communicating with o/s dive shops i have found that you only receive two answers to ten questions.
I will try some emails from my side of the ocean and see what we get.
Charts! I have some Natucial Chart supplies i can try,I have tried the internet re. WW11 era charts without succes, how about starting a new topic on the message Board and see if those with pictures and a passion for the Boats may have somethingt?
P.T. Bases this is a hard one as this would only be known to those few men at the top. The navy would know were and how to find them but the only detailed knowledge of the base would be to find a Base commander (still alive) or possibly offical areial photos of the Bases.
I know most men there would have some idea of their base but i think you want to extend your knowledge to cover as much area as pos. to inprove your chance of finding the Boats
Navel Archives, there must be a few reports on this Base i can think of a few to try, location, Rendover has a large number of oficial reports from the Navy, Seabees, Marines and Air Force and the P.T. Boat Commanders. All of these i have found on the Net. The info in the books i have genrally centers on one particular incident or event.
August 1st. has the loss of two sailors and two P.T. boats this crops up time after time in the many stories told of Rendover i have read. There must be archive material on file, keep at them and with luck the slow Govt. worm will finally disgorge somethine worthwhile.
Sorry to say my most recent trips have been east of the Solomons not west ,however that will now change as there are plans afoot to explore to the west and beyond in the next few years.
A glimmer of hope! I have a good friend who runs a small dive shop and is a good friend with the operator of Tulagi dive i will corner him and pick his brains a little as he spent a little of his younger life instructing around the Solomons.
O.K. its late excuse the spelling mate and till next time,ta for now
Yours, D.B.
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EARL RICHMOND
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: May 27, 2008 - 8:55am
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HELLO ALL I THINK THAT IF YOU CHECK THE SHIPS LOGS YOU WILL FIND THAT THE SKIPPERS KEPT RECORDS OF THE LAT,S AND LONG,S OF WHERE THEY WERE AT BASES AND ON PATROLS.THESE LOGS MAY HELP FIND AREAS MENTIONED?????? RGW SKIPPERS KEPT A RECORD OF THE ROUTES THEY USED ON PATROLS AND FOLLOWED THEM BY USING THE COMPASS.
EARL
earl richmond |
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Shaneo2
Advanced Member
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Posted on: May 27, 2008 - 11:47am
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That Dave and Earl,
I am getting alittle more certain of the area I will focus on, from replies here and general online research. Lambari and W. Bau. As there are buildings there, that means the locals are using some. I will try to spend a couple days in that area checking with the locals.
I know from two previous trips throught the Solomons 1980/81, that there is alot of war debris laying around- one can still walk old fighting positions etc.
Problems now are Asian scrappers and overseas collectors, who are looking to scrap the metal etc. The base'es were destroyed, vehicals dumped in the lagoons etc., but some areas must have been so isolated they just did a half arse job sometimes.
The Lat./Longs I first mentioned are very genreal, so I will try for more local knowledge for specifics......?
The dive shop message turn around is slow, but I know they are busy and internet there is not the best ..I would imagine.
In the meantime, sometgime someone gives a good recommendation/tip and that helps the process along.
Regards,
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Shaneo2
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Nov 15, 2008 - 2:49pm
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The photo's on page #2 of this link were taken on Lambari Island in 1981.
The barrel is a well, and the the sand filled barrels are possibly the OPS Center talked about in Donovans PT 109.
In addition on our numerous visits to Rendova Harbor, we found a Barge mooring, near Bau Is. There are dozens of concrete foundations on Bau, to include the base for the flag pole, the guard shack (?),and the Bakery.
We have photo's of the remains of the PT 164, and location was verified by old native who knew of it.
After the war ex-pats, blew the hull to bit (and I mean bits), looking for scrap metals. Today there are very little remains, we have photo's and several pieces were wood with screws still in them and some remains of white paint.
I think some more remains are under the sand, but do not have the means to uncover them.
I will be happy to send some photos for ID -only to those that run this site here, who can contact me and we can work from there. The photos are dedecated to the PT boat veterans....and are from myself Shane and Aussie Paul.
Regards
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Nov 15, 2008 - 6:31pm
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Would love to see the photos you have. Contact me anytime off site at mosquitofleet@comcast.net
Frank J Andruss Sr.
The Mosquito Fleet Exhibit
WWII PT BOATS
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Shaneo2
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Nov 15, 2008 - 8:50pm
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Frank,
I will be in contact most likely, Monday or Tuesday of this coming week. Hope you can ID small parts ?
Regards
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