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 Author  Topic: THE LIFE OF A MOSQUITO BOAT
TED WALTHER

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THE LIFE OF A MOSQUITO BOAT

Photos: IN BOTH OF THESE PHOTOS OF PT 48 TAKEN JULY 3 1942 OFF TOBOGA ISLAND, PANAMA CANAL ZONE, THE OFFICER CLOSEST TOO THE CAMERA, ON THE FORECASTLE IS ENS. TOM KENDALL. HE WAS ORIGINALLY A JUNIOR GUNNERY OFFICER ON THE U.S.S. MISSISSIPPI(BB-41). AS THE SHIP WAS TRANSITING THE PANAMA CANAL, HE WAS "LIBERATED" BY JACK AND BOB SEARLES, LEONARD NICOLORIC, BOB WARK, LESTER GAMBLE, AND HENRY"STILLY"TAYLOR, WITH THE "OFFICIAL" ASSISTANCE OF LT. HUGH "ROBBY" ROBINSON AND LCDR. ALAN"MONTY" MONTGOMERY AND JOINED THE NEWLY FORMED RON 3(2) JUST BEFORE IT SHIP OUT TO GUADALCANAL. HE BECAME LT. WARK'S EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND LATER WHEN WARK GOT SICK, HE BECAME COMMANDING OFFICER OF PT 48.








THE LIFE OF A MOSQUITO BOAT

By HAROLD E. "TED" WALTHER Jr.
NR SBU 24/NR SBU 20/ SBR 2/ SBU 26/SBU 20/ MODELER

About six years ago I read in my local newspaper, THE EASTERN SHORE NEWS, an advertisement for a new company starting business. This company featured a dinner cruise tour which would be operated from the local town of Onancock, Virginia. From the photo that accompanied the add, the boat looked pretty big using the buildings in the background as a size reference. Being a resident of Eastern Shore of Virginia since 1976, educated in the local ways I knew that when something new comes along we all try it out at least once. A couple of weeks later I was in the area and decided to take a look at this boat.

I was driving across the old wooden bridge from the Mount Prospect area of town, going towards Onancock Wharf, when I saw the boat. The hair stood up on the back of my neck when I first laid eyes on her. She was moored portside-to, to a dock adjacent to the bridge. She had a cabin that ran almost the entire length of the boat, above this was a small pilothouse and a upper deck that had tables. The boat was painted white with a sky blue deck and sky blue and red trim. The name "ONANCOCK PRINCESS" was painted in 12" script, in sky blue with red shading, along the starboard and portside upper deck below the railing. On this day I didn't see anyone around the boat so I drove on home. I drove by the boat a number of times over the following two weeks and nobody was ever around. Each time I looked at this boat something kept bugging me about it. At first I thought it might be an 80' ELCO but it was a little too thin at the beam(I was sure it wasn't a 78' Higgins because I had taken photos of PT 308 two years before in Delaware.). Something just kept bugging me about her. I asked questions of some friends around town and they told me who owned her. About three weeks later I was in the area again and there were a few people aboard so I decided to stop and ask some more questions. As I walked towards the boat, a tall thin bearded man about 40 asked if he could help me. I asked if I could come aboard and ask him some questions.

The mans name was Bob Fears and he had owned the boat since 1989 and he had the boat rebuilt in Florida before bringing it up to Virginia. He also told me, that, he was told the boat was an Ex-PT Boat, but he didn't know which one. I told him I was a member of P.T. Boats Inc. and described what the organization was all about. He suggested that I might be able to trace the lineage but the only thing he could give me was a date 12/15/41 and the U.S. Coast Guard documentation number. Not much to go on.

When I obtained the abstract of title from the local Coast Guard Group, things slowly started to come together.

According to the abstract of title the boat was definitely an ELCO. The original certification states that the boat was built at ELCO in Bayonne N.J. in 1941. The certificate was signed by Glenville S. Tremaine, Master Carpenter of the Electric Boat Company. Now I was sure this was a 77'ELCO, but which one?

With this information I went right to the phone and called Memphis. I told Alyce Mary of the evidence and asked where I might find ELCO's 1941 construction records, she suggested calling Electric Boat. So I did and they told me to call the Naval War College, and round and round I went until after calling about six numbers, I located the ELCO pre-war construction records in of all places Mystic, Connecticut(these records only go to March 1942, which encompass all of the 77' boats and only the laid down dates of the first eleven 80' boats.). The 12/15/41 date that Bob Fears gave me was incorrect because ELCO didn't produce any boats in December 1941(In fact the information I received was that ELCO employees were on vacation from 11/13/41-1/13/42 because of a contract dispute. I am more inclined to think it was to give employees a rest because of the factory gearing up for the new 80' production contract(103-196 series), the holidays and of course the Pearl Harbor attack.). The actual date was 9/15/41, this was the only 77' boat completed on the 15th day of any month in 1941. The records show that this was ELCO Hull Number 3334, P.T. 48 of RON 2 and was later transferred to RON 3(2).

By the time I compiled this information the boat and Bob Fears were gone. He told me he was going to Florida for the winter and he never came back with her. For 4 years I thought the boat may have been lost during Hurricane Andrew or Hugo. I continued to compile information on P.T. 48 and the following is what I call:

THE LIFE OF P.T. 48

6/6/41 Lay down as ELCO Hull Number 3334.

8/21/41 Launched.

9/9/41-9/14/41 acceptance trials conducted ENS. Robert R. Green USN, ELCO SHIPSSUP, conducted all trials. Boat accepted.

9/15/41 Completed and placed in service as P.T. 48, ENS. Bruce P. Van Buskirk Commanding Officer, ENS. John M. Searles, Executive Officer assigned to RON 2.

9/16/41-11/16/41 Operated in an around New York.

11/17/41-12/13/41 Operated in and around Melville Rhode Island.

12/17/41 departed with 10 other P.T.'s of RON 2 from the Brooklyn Navy Yard loaded aboard the aircraft ferry ships HAMMONDSPORT (APV-2 )and KITTYHAWK (APV-1), bound for Panama to help increase defenses in the Canal Zone area and to prepare for future deployment.

Trained (only problem with this was RON 2 did most of their training during daylight hours.) in Panama until alerted in early July 1942.

12/41-8/42 trained and operated in and around Panama Canal Zone. Conducted training exercises, escort duty, anti-submarine patrols, live fire exercises, and navigational training in and around Panama Canal Zone. The boat was commanded by LT.jg. Robert Wark USNR.

4/15/42 Boat was painted (no color mentioned)

6/24/42 the new Executive Officer was ENS. Tom Kendall USNR, who was transferred from the Gunnery Division of U.S.S. Mississippi (BB-41).

6/13/42 Aft torpedo tubes put back on.

7/27/42 PT 48 was transferred to RON 3 (2) with seven other boats from RON 2. New RON 3 commanded by LCDR. A. Montgomery USN.

PT 48 was part of the first division of RON 3(2) to be shipped to the Solomons (first division composed of PT 38 commanded by R. Searles, PT 46 commanded by H. Taylor, PT 60 commanded by J. Searles, and PT 48.), the boat was commanded by LT. jg. Robert Wark USNR and the Executive Officer was ENS. Tom Kendall USNR.

8/25/42 Fuel tanks pumped out.

8/29/42, PT 48 and the three other boats were loaded aboard the Navy oilers LACKAWANNA (AO-40) and TAPPAHANNOCK (AO-43), two boats per ship. PT 48 was secured in a cradle on the deck of TAPPAHANNOCK (AO-43), on the port side of the ship.

9/27/42 Arrived at Noumea. The four boats were unloaded, and refueled by Kankakee.

10/6/42 departed Noumea, New Caledonia and towed by U.S.S. BELLATRIX (AK-20) and U.S.S. JAMESTOWN (AGP-3) to Espiritu Santo.

10/10/42 0600 Arrived at Espiritu Santo, departed 1315 and the boats were towed from here by U.S.S. HOVEY (DMS-11) and U.S.S. SOUTHARD (DMS-10) to a position 300 miles south of Tulagi.

10/12/42, arrived Government Wharf, Tulagi at 0515( the second division of RON 3(2) arrived on 10/25/42, PT's 37, 39, 45, and 61.), on this night less than 40 miles west of their approach track, the Battle of Cape Esperance was taking place.

10/13/42, all boats were refueled by hand, dividing 180 55 gallon drums between the four boats.

10/14/42, Underway at 0200 on first combat patrol, LT.jg. Wark in command, ENS. Tom Kendall as XO. Halfway between Guadalcanal and Tulagi flashes of gunfire were observed. PT 60 was caught in the searchlight beam of a Japanese destroyer. LT.jg. Wark was maneuvering to attack when PT 46 cut across 48's bow forcing Wark to turn hard right rudder to miss colliding with 46. PT 48 lost contact with this target and proceed slowly on this new heading until another destroyer put its searchlight beam directly on the 48 boat and opened fire. PT 48 opened fire on the destroyer the distance was 200 yards. .50 cal. rounds from 48 hit the destroyer's bridge area and searchlight.

10/15/42, LCDR. Montgomery aboard with LT.jg. Wark in command. Underway with PT 46 escorted two YP barges loaded with Avgas, to Guadalcanal. One barge went aground and before it could be pulled off the Express came down the slot to shell Henderson Field again. The PT 's managed to tow the other barge back to Tulagi.

10/16/42, Lt.jg. Wark USNR in command. PT 48 accompanied by PT 38 towed U.S.S. McFarland (DD-237); she had been hit by a Jap dive bomber, from Guadalcanal into Tulagi harbor.

10/17/42, PT 48 received 400 gallons of contaminated gas while refueling from U.S.S. McFARLAND (DD-237).

10/18/42, Crew spent all day trying to clear up the contaminated fuel, and strained the fuel to the point of it being usable, however, they needed more fuel to top-off the tanks.

10/19/42, Received more bad fuel from the Naval Air Station on Guadalcanal.

10/20/42-10/22/42, Due to the amount of bad fuel in P.T.48's tanks, it all had to be pumped out and the tanks slushed down. This process took most of two days.

10/26/42-10/28/42, crew straightened struts of the shafts and changed props.

10/29/42, Underway, Ens. Tom Kendall USNR in command. On patrol with PT 37. Four Japanese destroyers came into Iron Bottom Sound fired three torpedoes but 48 and 37 were too far away to make contact.

11/7/42, LT. Les Gamble USNR in command, Executive Officer was Ens. Charles Tufts USNR. PT 48 fired four torpedoes at a Japanese destroyer, near Koli Point, Guadalcanal Island, range was 400 yards. Two hits were observed amidships. The following day some debris and an oilslick was found in the area.

11/9/42, LT. John Searles USNR in command, LT.jg Al Snowball USNR as Executive Officer. While underway on patrol off Taivu Point, a periscope wake was spotted off 48's port quarter. As Searles turned the boat toward the wake, the Sub fired a torpedo at 48. While avoiding the torpedo they lost track of the position the sub had crash dove from, so Searles broke off the attack and resumed the patrol.

11/13/42, 48 is underway Ens. Tom Kendall USNR in command. While on patrol Kendall fires four torpedoes at what appears to be a Japanese ship off Sing Song. Fortunately, all torpedoes missed, because the ship was actually the U.S.S. Portland(CL-33). Four Japanese destroyers were spotted by 61 and 38 off sandfly passage and attacked, all torpedoes fired miss.

12/1/42 LT.jg. Tom Kendall USNR in command. Rescued three survivors from U.S.S. Northampton (CA-26), which sunk off Savo Island.

12/6/42, LT.jg. Tom Kendall USNR in command. While on patrol with PT 37, a surfaced Japanese submarine was spotted. Both boats attacked and together they let eight torpedoes fly at the sub, however, no definite hits were observed on the target.

12/7/42, LT.jg. Robert Searles USNR in command. PT 48 on patrol with PT 40(LT.jg Henry S."Stilly" Taylor) off the northwest tip of Guadalcanal. Enemy destroyers are sighted( the total number was 10 destroyers.). As 48 starts to maneuver into attack position two engines conk out. The destroyers spot 48 and start firing, P.T. 40 cut across the destroyers bows and laid a smokescreen, this action drew the enemy off 48. PT 48 then putted to the leeward side of Savo Island and beached for repairs.

12/8/42, The next morning LT. Rollin "Westy" Westholm in PT 109, pulled PT 48 off the beach with a towline.

12/15/42, Boat overhauled at Sesapi, Tulagi. Boat received two depth charges.

12/24/42, LT.jg Tom Kendall USNR. and crew out on patrol with PT 46(LT. Jim Mountcastle USNR.), spotted a Japanese transport to the west of Cape Esperance. The two boats attacked and saw two explosions.

1/10/43, LT.jg. Searles and crew out on patrol in search of eight Japanese destroyers, they never made contact. However, they assisted in picking up survivors of P.T. 112 and P.T.43. Also assisted in sinking 250 drums of supplies Japanese destroyers dumped overboard in a re-supply attempt.

1/14/43, ENS. Jake Kearny USNR.in command. Underway with 13 other P.T.'s in search of nine enemy destroyers, no contact for 48.

2/1/43, LT. Lester Gamble USNR. and crew on patrol with PT 111 two miles southwest of Savo Island. Bombed and strafed by Japanese Plane, no damage. 48 sighted and attacked two destroyers 2 miles west of Savo Island. Fired 2 aft torpedoes at the range of 900 yards at first destroyer and missed, then fired 2 forward torpedoes at second destroyer, the result of this was a heavy volume of 5 inch and automatic weapons fire directed at P.T. 48. Gamble changed course and headed 48 away from the target. Another destroyer off the starboard bow forced Gamble to turn 48 into the beach. He beached 48 and then gave orders to abandon ship, The crew jumped off onto the beach of Savo Island. Expecting the Japanese destroyers to turn on their searchlights and destroy the 48 boat.

2/2/43 The Japanese destroyers never found PT 48. The crew reboarded the boat and she was pulled off the beach by U.S.S. Artulan the after sun-up and towed back to Tulagi. Boat went into drydock for 15 days for repairs.

2/8/43, Japanese evacuate from Guadalcanal thus giving the squadrons at Tulagi time for a slight rest and repair period.

2/18/43, Boat out of commission. Crew to U.S.S. Jamestown, except one enlisted man who was sent to base force.

5/17/43, Boat back in commission, Sesapi, Tulagi

5/30/43, Underway north, PT 48 ordered to move up to Russell Islands, RON 3(2) members christen the new base "SEARLESVILLE" with the headquarters being the huge Lever Brothers plantation house. This move also included remnants of RON's 2, 3(2), 5, 6, and 9.

7/3/43, Lt. jg John Iles USNR in command. On patrol with PT 109 in rough seas. A wave hit 48 hard enough to knock a temporary patch off her hull( located somewhere forward of frame 25 and above the waterline.), she began taking on water. Meanwhile 109 located a nearby destroyer and obtained a hand pump from them, which when brought back to 48, was of little use. PT 48 jettisoned 4 torpedoes and two depth charges, to lighten the boat. The patrol OIC, LT. Alvin Cluster and Iles decided to beach 48 on Buraku Island, which was the closest one. Because of the location of the hole they went in reverse all the way to the island. On the way they radioed a repair vessel which met them at Buraku.

7/4/43, 1300: PT 36 arrives at Buraku and tows 48 back to Searlesville.

7/4/43, With two engines dead, Iles and crew putt back to Tulagi at about 8-10 knots an hour, a distance of about 90 miles, for repairs and overhaul. Iles transfers to RON 6 and PT 125.

7/43 While in drydock at Tulagi, LT. Kenneth W. Prescott (formerly Commanding Officer of PT 61.), becomes commanding officer of PT 48.

8/43-10/43, With Prescott as C.O., upon completion of repairs and drydock period, PT 48 is placed on special detached duty and is attached to Marine Corps Beach Jumper Unit One. For this mission 48 was equipped with special gear. Two or three large speakers were on the bow, these were hooked up to reel to reel tape recorder amplifying machines( tapes were of landing craft sounds such as LCM's alongside ships unloading and loading troops and supplies, small craft engines throttling up and down, and a mixture of voices. All this was suppose to simulate a landing in progress.). Balloons were also used and released with blinking lights to simulate aircraft or ship superstructure lights on troop transports. Metal cans were also fitted to the balloons with tether lines, as were vertical metal strips to give false RADAR images( just in case the Japanese were using RADAR.). Armament was increased also, six .50 cal. machine guns were bolted to the forward deck, mounted on pipe tripods( three on port three on starboard.) known around Tulagi as bicycle mounts( these were similar to RON 1 .30 cal mounts.), these mounts were almost five feet tall and could be used against enemy float planes as well as gunfire support while inserting/extracting the Beach Jumpers. This was all in preparation for the invasion of Choiseul Island in October 1943.

10/19/43 PT 48 with Prescott as C.O., to Lever Harbor, New Georgia. However, they were never used, another Marine Corps Unit was assigned the task.

10/27/43 Operation Blissful was launched, this was a diversionary invasion with 725 Marines landing on the western side of Choiseul. Their objective was to cause as much commotion as possible, thus the Japanese would commit air and naval assets to Choiseul, while the real invasion was to be Operation Cherryblossom on Bougainville on

11/1/43. This would also cut off supply lines to the 9000 enemy troops based on Choiseul. On 11/4/43 the Choiseul force was extracted by Lambu Lambu based P.T. Boats from RON 2(PT 59)and RON 11.

11/14/43 LT. K.W. Prescott USNR in command. Another refit at Tulagi. Installed on the boat adjacent to the cockpit on both the port and starboard sides are two roll-off racks for Mk XIII aerial torpedoes, four depth charges port and starboard sides astern( two placed on each after torpedo tube mounting pads.), photographic evidence I have recently obtained clearly shows a M4 37mm on the forecastle just aft of the forward hatch. SO-A RADAR was also installed in addition to the existing armament of a M4 20mm on stern and replaced twin .50 cal. machine guns in both gun tubs.

12/1/43 Into dry dock, bottom scrapped and painted with two coats, all necessary planking replaced new screws, struts and rudders.

12/5/43 torpedoes and torpedo tubes removed. 12/10/43-12/20/43 Gun test firing and Radar equipment tests, Tulagi area.

*11/43-7/44, RON 3(2) took possession of RON 2's remaining 77' ELCO's ( RON 3(2) also took possession of RON 1 boats based at Funafuti on 12/22/42, then on 9/27/43 they were transferred to RON 3(2), and had possession of all 77'ELCO's in the area. RON 3(2) moved up to Bau Island, Rendova at this time and remained there for training purposes. PT 48 was one of the last boats in RON 3(2) to remain in combat status (that wasn't converted to a gunboat.), and also operated from Sterling Island, Treasury Islands.

8/7/44, Decommissioning of RON 3(2), PT 48 (with PT's 39, 47, and 59.) is inspected and declared fit for training duty( actually these four boats were the only ones in good condition, eight others were reclassified in April 44 and did duty as runabouts.), and were shipped back to MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT TRAINING CENTER, Melville, Rhode Island.

10/15/44-4/15/46, Attached to RON 4 to train repair party personnel, during this period all damaged equipment and structural damaged was replaced, so by 4/46, PT 48 was virtually a new boat.

10/20/44, PT 48 is reclassified a small boat

4/15/46, RON 4 is decommissioned , all P.T.'s (28 PT's plus the 4 reclassified 77'ELCO's.), were placed out of service, except for the four 600 series 80' ELCO's. Ex- PT 48 was placed in a state of temporary "storage" and then handed over to the War Shipping Administration for liquidation/disposal.

4/30/47, Ex-PT 48 is turned over to the U.S. Maritime Commission. Hull registration number 14P996, then 4P74. The way the documentation reads it was sold to Mr. Palmer Scott, who owned her until 1953, however, between 1953-1954 she changed ownership six times, ( I believe all of these owners were business partners with Palmer Scott and they moved the ownership around for documentation and tax purposes, because in two instances she was sold for $1.00.). Mr. Scott I believe was a member of the Maritime Commission as well as a yacht broker/salesman.
**** During the period when Palmer Scott owned the boat, she was moved to Florida.****

11/10/53-12/15/57, Sold to Mr. Jack E. Chayne, who is the first "Sole Owner" on the documentation. Chayne renamed the boat the "SEA GARDEN". Mr. Chayne was apparently an employee of General Motors, since the first mortgage is through General Motors (maybe he was a director or board member but until I find someone who knew of the boat when he owned her I will never know.).

12/15/57-12/15/72, The boat was renamed "FLAMINGO I" and sold to HAULOVER SIGHTSEEING CRUISES INC. This was a company started by Mr. Chayne in 1955, but, for tax purposes he sold the boat to his company. (Chayne also owned "FLAMINGO II" which was PT 40 ELCO hull number 3326, which was identical to "FLAMINGO I".) He did this five times over the years.

11/18/75, HAULOVER SIGHTSEEING merges with NIKKO SIGHTSEEING BOATS INC.

6/27/85, sold to JUNGLE QUEENS INC. for the sum of $825,000.

11/89-3/90, Being totally rebuilt and overhauled, two new Detroit Diesel 671 engines are installed as well as all rotten and damaged wood is replaced. By 3/90 she is virtually a new boat again!

4/17/90, Sold to CANDY & BOB INC., Candy and Bob Fears are the co-owners.

5/2/90, Boat renamed "ONANCOCK PRINCESS" and was operated as a tour boat specializing in dinner cruises. I first stepped on her deck one month later that is when Bob Fears, after learning I was a member of P.T. BOATS INC. asked me to trace her lineage, well six years later here it is Bob.

10/90-5/91, Mr. Fears took the boat to the Miami, Florida area for the winter. He took her as far south to Marathon, Florida.

5/91-10/91, "ONANCOCK PRINCESS" returned to Onancock, Virginia for the season, again making dinner cruises four days a week.

10/91-3/18/92, Mr. Fears again took the boat to Florida for the winter, however, his marital status changed and he was forced to put the boat up for sale. During this time she was moved to Cape Canaveral, Florida. While there, she was tied to up to a pier when a winter storm came in. The mooring lines on a barge, docked nearby, parted. The barge drifted across the basin and struck Ex-P.T. 48 in the port side and holing her. She sunk at the pier. The boat was raised and placed on a makeshift cradle off in the corner of the boatyard. This is where the present owner viewed her.

3/18/92, Sold to HOWARD BARRETT ENTERPRISES. Mr. Barrett, being experienced in ELCO and HUCKINS yacht construction and also a retired Navy Chief, repaired and overhauled the boat himself. He then ran the boat from Florida to Suffolk, Virginia. Then he arranged for the boat to be transported to its present location in Virginia by truck! (using a special boat trailer he designed himself.)

3/19/92-10/2/96, At this writing Mr. Barrett operates the "PIONEER MAID" as a dinner tour boat in southwestern Virginia. If all goes well, myself and Mr. Barrett have agreed to restore the boat back to 1943-44 configuration . We are now in the process of starting a non-profit organization entitled P.T. 48 RESTORATION GROUP INC. Our sole purpose will be to restore P.T. 48 to operating condition, so wish us luck and say a prayer for this old Mosquito Boat that we are able to restore her to the sleek, curvaceous beauty she once was, until then, her story continues.....

August 1999- Mr. Barrett hauls the boat out of the water and trucks it to Florida. Just escaping the state of Virginia which wants to destroy the boat. While this is occurring, Kim Nielsen from the Navy Museum in Washington D.C. shows up with a bunch of experts from the U.S.S. Constitution which is at the Boston Navy Yard, and thoroughly inspects the hull of Ex-PT 48. They all say she is in very good shape for her age, especially the hull.

May 2000 Pioneer Maid and I meet again. I was attending Chapman's navigation school in Stuart, while as Lead navigator MK V SOC 964 Det Four Special Boat Unit 20. I drove with some buddies to visit with the 48 boat.

February 2006 looks like the Maid might move north, a group of investors want to restore her to 1942 specs, and use her as a living museum with PT 459, and PT 615, in Kingston on the Hudson, in upstate New York.

July 2007 Bob Hostetler has taken possession of the boat charging Howard Barrett with failure to pay docking and storage fees. I have contacted him and he agreed to my price, however I am now going on deployment and the "Mosquito Boat Princess" (this is a name that I came up with ten years ago, I asked Ken if he liked it and he agreed, so there you have it, the emblem will have Rita Hayworth as the Princess.)will have to wait again. April 2008 returned from deployment two months ago. Bob still agrees to my price, now it is up to me to try and do something for my girl the "Mosquito Boat Princess".

I would like to personally extend my sincere gratitude to CDR. John M. Searles USNR (Ret.)who was Plankowner Exec on PT 48 and second Skipper, wrote a log of all PT operations at Tulagi in 1984, this was a major help in researching this log of PT 48. LT. Thomas Kendall former Exec and Seventh Skipper of PT 48. Tom wrote me many recollections of the early days at Tulagi and sent beautiful 8x10 B/W prints of 48 underway in July 1942 off Panama. I would also like to thank CAPT. Robert R. Green USN (Ret.) who took PT 48 (and every other 77' ELCO) on her acceptance trail runs between Bayonne Bridge at Kill Van Kull, down to the Verrazano Bridge, out around Hoffman Island back up to Governors Island and Red Hook, under the Brooklyn Bridge, past Battery Park, up towards the George Washington Bridge(when he would go that way, other wise he would take boats through the Hells gate), then back down to the Kill Van Kull and under the Bayonne Bridge and back to the plant. He wrote a long and extremely detailed letter about the early days of RON ONE, RON TWO, and PTCRON ONE. Also to Chip Marshall and Steve Nugent ,both of whom have provided me with excerpts of PT 48's deck log, which is in the National Achieves. Finally, CAPT. Kenneth W. Prescott USNR (Ret.) RON 3(2), former skipper of P.T. 61 and P.T. 48. For extending to me first and foremost his trust in duplicating an extremely rare set of color photos he took while as Skipper of PT 61 at Searlesville, The Russell Islands. Ken also extended to me his friendship, experiences, and knowledge of the boat he commanded. Thanks Ken, if it hadn't been for you, this history of P.T. 48 would never have been as close to complete as it is, however, the fat lady has not sung yet, so it is not finished……Yet!


TED WALTHER




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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: May 6, 2008 - 7:29am
Ted;

Great detective work! To find a boat still intact with this history is truly remarkable. This boat deserves to be rebuilt and put on display. It is a true representation of what a PT Boat's role was during the war. Its storied history can only be an inspiration to any and all people who stand on its deck.

Good luck in your endeavor.


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  Wayne Traxel

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Wayne Traxel   Send Email To Wayne Traxel Posted on: May 6, 2008 - 7:42am
Excellent Ted.

You brought 48's history out to the message board.



Wayne Traxel

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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: May 7, 2008 - 12:02pm
Super Job Ted:

A great look into the History of the only 77 footer left. I loved every minute of the reading............


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