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Topic: Preparations & Readiness of PT's |
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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 Posted on: Feb 15, 2009 - 11:21am
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To All Quartermasters
I again spoke with Mr. McNeish today as some of you felt the QM did not simply go to sleep after sutting down in the Charthouse. I want to apologize as I made a mistake in my earlier post. I was going by memory and Mr. McNeish set me straight. The Quartermaster on the boat did in fact help with other routine chores. He had one of the 20MM to clean and service. What Mr. McNeish said was that he was one of the first ones to sack out, finishing his chores long before the other Gunner Mates were completed with their tasks at hand.
Again, sorry for the mix up. I guess I heard him wrong the first time. Glad I cleared that up before you guys tossed me overboard............
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CJ Willis
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Posted on: Feb 15, 2009 - 11:48am
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On our boat the guys that fired the guns at G.Q. were responsible for cleaning them. Our QM did not fire a gun. He and the RM were in the charthouse at G.Q. We had two RM's on the boat - one fired the starboard twin fifty turret. I fired the port twin fifty turret. One of the Motor Macs fired the 37 bow gun. Torpedoman the 20 mm. GM and Motormac the 37 mm stern gun.
C. J. Willis |
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Randy Finfrock
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Feb 15, 2009 - 4:32pm
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Thanks to all for taking your time to give us such detailed explanations, which are so vivid to me that I can almost sense being there.
I was in the USCG on 30' & 32' patrol boats and I enjoyed the sound of the engines. I just can't imagine being on a 77' or 80' PT with 3 Packards winding up and then going full throttle!
CJ, QM, Earl, Bob & Russell, I was wondering when each of you served in PT's? Would you fill in the blanks on the following questions?
What squadron(s) you served in?
What PT boat(s) you were assigned to - or those you went on patrol in?
The time frame of your service with each Ron and PT?
The bases you served from or were attached to?
Thanks once again - looking forward to hearing from you all.
Randy Finfrock
P.S. Frank, I don't think we'd throw you overboard, and guess we won't keel-haul you either, since you were so hasty to correct your minor error. Thanks for all you do to contribute and bring everybody together in so many different ways!
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Russell Pullano
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Feb 15, 2009 - 7:59pm
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Randy, I notice that you have been on this board from November, 2006. If you haven't already done so, there is a vast of information in past posts which you can review if you look at the lower right corner of the page that lists the last posts. I know you or I can't rmember every PT veteran's boat, but if you haven't been current on your viewing, you have missed a trememdous amount of PT history.
Nevertheless, I will give you the informatio that you asked for.
I was a quartermaster on the 162 boat in Ron 9 in the Solomon Islands and New Guineau from late September 1943 until October 1944..I went from Tulagi ,to Lever Harbor,Kolobangara (spelled incorrectly) to Sterling Island in the Treasury Islands , to New Zealand for R&R ,then rejoined my squadron at Green Island (only for one day),then Finchaven (spelled wrong) ,in New Guineau ,then to Mios Woendi until October, 1944 then home. Then 2 days at Melville, then to the Fargo building in Boston...
In March 1945 left SanFrancisco for Ormoc in the Phillipines, asigned to the 195 boat in Ron 12 in May 1945. From there to Leyte Gulf, to Samar .The war ended, we took our boat out in the bay to be burned. I waited my turn to go home on Leyte (based on points I accumulated). Spent my last Christmas there then on a ship for San Diego , to Lido Beach in New York. Got discharged, got my Ruptured Duck in January 1946 and on a train for the most enjoyable ride home.
Wow, I didn't think I would be this gabby. I hope I answered your request
Russ
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Will Day
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 16, 2009 - 12:06pm
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Thanks, all of you guys, for sharing your personal histories with the rest of us....
Will |
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BobPic
New Member
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Posted on: Feb 16, 2009 - 12:56pm
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I should resurect a diary of where I was, when ,but never got around to it. I arrived at Tulagi sometime in mid '43. They said Tulagi and Guadalcanal were secure, but we had nightly air raids. I was assigned to Ron 10, PT167, the "Who me?" We hit most of the bases up the New Guinea coast, Biak, the Halmaheras and finally the Philippines (Samar). Green Island was in there early on. The 167 was the only boat I was assigned to, but some of us volunteered to patrol with other boats when we were not patroling ourselves. I quickly became skilled at navigation and skippers who were short handed or who had new QMs would ask if I wanted a joy-ride. I went on some 20 patrols as "guest" QM. I recorded 62 patrols, 38 of which we saw some kind of action and 7 times I was sure I would never get out alive. It was a long war. My skipper wanted to be free to do things and did not like to "drive the boat". So my GQ post was at the helm and throttles. My guardian angel worked overtime and is still on my shoulder.
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Russell Pullano
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Feb 16, 2009 - 6:44pm
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Bob,....When I am goint ot say say that I can't believe that the skipper had you steer the boat t GQ, I don't mean that I do not believe you. I just can't digest the fact that an officer shunned his responsibility to his men by not handling the controls when confronting the enemy.
It reminds me of the only skipper I had who was the biggest phony that ever put on his country's uniform. I never once saw him at the wheel. At GQ our exec took charge of the helm. As a matter of fact the skipper never steered the boat even when we went to fuel, I can truthfully say that I never saw him at the wheel.
When I was in Ron 9 on the 162 boat for 13 months, I had a total of 9 officers, including third officers. Eight of them were the greatest officers anyone could ask for. This was common on PT boats, but this guy...Ugh.
Russ
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earl
MASTER
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Posted on: Feb 16, 2009 - 7:59pm
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i got to numea,.new caledonia around non-dec,1943,assignerd there to pt boat service.moved from there thru guadalcanal,green island,sterling,rendova,emirau,,hollandia ,tulagi,samar,ormoc.served mostly on the base forces as cook.rons 3-5-7-9-11-12.was assigned to pt 108,as cook, at emirau around 1st of june,1943 and was sent home around end of november,for leave of 30 days with papers in my pocket to be re assigned to ron 12 in phillipines.served there till end of november 1945.went home on point system and was discharged dec 25,1945.nice xmas present.we patrolled mostly the new ireland areas on the 8 boat.we had a good boat and a good crew.and good officers.at emirau we stayed tied up at a buoy when we were there.used our dinghy to go to the pier when we went to the base.i was set up twice for r&r at new zealand and other time at australia.both were cancelled at the last minute.my dad passed away while i was at treasury.base chaplaim told me about it but said they could not send me home for the funerasl as they needed me there.he gave me 1/2 day "off".duty.i know i have forgotten a lot.sorry.getting older now and things are starting to catch up with me.hope this helps a little. earl
earl richmond |
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CJ Willis
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Feb 16, 2009 - 8:17pm
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Randy: I joined Squadron 19 at Tulagi and was assigned to P.T. 242 (a Higgins Boat) . I never rode any other boat but 242. We were sent to Vella La Vella about November 1st, 1943. We operated out of Vella La Vella, patroling Choiseul and southern Bougainville until December 14th 1943 when the base was burned by a fuel dock fire. The base was then abandoned. We then moved to Treasury and operated with Ron 9 and Commander Kelly patroling mostly Bougainville. December 28th, 1943 we got into a fire fight with 3 barges off Bougainville, we sank two and possibly the third our boat was damaged and we were sent to Tulagi for repairs and new Mk13 fish. After repairs we wound up at Rendova where the rest of our Ron 19 had been sent for half of the crews to go on R & R in New Zealand. My name was not drawn to go so I stayed at Rndova with half the crew - scraped, sanded and painted the bottom. Also added two new twin 50's on the bow in front of the chart house. The gang got back from New Zealand the last of February, 1944. We were then sent to Green Island which had just been taken from the Japs. We operated out of Green Island patroling New Britain, New Ireland, Buka, and Northern Bougainville until late Novenber 1944 when our crew was relieved of duty and sent back to the U.S. We had been in the combat zone for 15 months and had made 85 nightly patrols of enemy held islands aboard 242. After 30days leave I reported to Melville then to the Fargo Bldg in Boston for two months. In March 1945 I was sent to Samar, Philippines Base 17. I was never assigned to another boat. I was at Samar when the bombs were dropped and the war ended. I was then sent to Subic Bay, Phillipines where I caught a troop ship to Portland, OR. A train to Norman, OK where I was discharged after serving nearly 3 years in the Navy. I am proud of my Navy and P.T. Boat service for my country. It took 3 years out of my young life but I was able to recover after I got back.
C. J. Willis |
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BobPic
New Member
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Posted on: Feb 17, 2009 - 5:36am
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Russ .. I know it was unusual that the Skipper and Exec did not man the helm at GQ. Our Skipper (Ralph Gray) was not a boat person and felt handcuffed when at the wheel. He wasn't very good at it. At GQ, he watched the Radar, advised gunners, and flitted around as much as the situation would permit. Once when a superior officer guest questioned his judgement, he said " I have the conn, sir" and then he gave me some trivial order to prove it. Other than that , he was a very good officer, although much more friendly with the enlisted men than a "Joe Navy" commander.
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