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Topic: General Quarters |
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CJ Willis
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Posted on: Jul 8, 2013 - 1:25pm
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Bob we did not have loaders for the 50's. I was the port twin 50 turret gunner myself. We had 250 round cans hooked to each gun and 6 extra cans of 250 rounds each in the floor of the turret so we had 1000 rounds for each 50 cal gun. I don't remember ever firing more than I had in the turret.
C. J. Willis |
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Bob
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Posted on: Jul 8, 2013 - 1:28pm
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Thanks again CJ. By the way, which bunk was yours?
Bob |
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CJ Willis
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Posted on: Jul 8, 2013 - 1:33pm
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Bob: The upper starboard forward bunk was mine.
C. J. Willis |
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Jerry Gilmartin |
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 Posted on: Jul 9, 2013 - 12:02am
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Hey Bob, I was looking through some of my pics I took of RON22 deck logbooks and I have one for PT305 at commissioning and another from PT308 from 1945 and the number of enlisted crewmen on PT305 was 11 like you say, however the PT308 logbook lists 16 enlisted crewmen. So I imagine some may have been added to the original compliment of 11 during the war as more weapons were added to the boat.
Jerry Gilmartin |
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Bob
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Posted on: Jul 9, 2013 - 5:43am
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Wow 16, were would they have slept? Every crews photo I have seen in the Med shows an average of 11 and confirmed by one of our historians. I'm sure some were added at times, but we know that the 305 operated with this number for most of the time so we are just trying to get an idea of the different battle stations for this boat, thier routine, how they lived, where they slept, etc. The sleeping part is enteresting. As I was in the Navy myself, the choice of racks (bunks) was based on rank. The higher the rank the better choice of rack. So I would suppose the same on the PT's. The best racks being the four built inside the ovals in the bulkheads up forward. These are a lot more private. And the one that CJ is talking about is all the way forward, so a little less light and a little quieter. On the 305 these two forward racks had portholes as well. Then you have the lower bunks, normally seating for everyone, then having to be made up later to sleep on. Then you have the aft store room and lazzerret. A lot more private, but hot as hell as they had no forced air ventilation (or heater) only two clamshell vents. The 305 was not built with an aft head. It was also not built for bunks in these aft areas. Its strange as earlier Higgins boats were. So in these aft areas, mattresses were put on the shelves outboard of the longitudenal bulkheads.
Bob |
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Jerry Gilmartin |
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Posted on: Jul 9, 2013 - 11:19pm
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Yes I know what you mean Bob, I was speaking to one of our crewmen vets, Maury Hooper of Higgins PT238 RON20 in the Pacific, and while he was on the boat they had 14 men plus two officers. Here is where they slept. Mainly on the deck maybe on a cot under a tarp. When it was raining or stormy their bunks were as follows: Fwd Crews Quarters = 8. Officer Wardroom = 2 with room for a third, Aft Crew Quarters (below 40mm aka "Aft Stowage Room") =4 (2 in outboard racks, 2 in pipe racks) Lazarette =2 in outboard racks. Total number of enlisted racks = 8 + 4 + 2 = 14. They had to sleep on the deck I would bet! Then add 3 Officers and you have 17, Lots of people.
Jerry Gilmartin |
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CJ Willis
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Posted on: Jul 10, 2013 - 7:35am
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Jerry you are right. We very seldom slept below deck. Too hot in the South Pacific. Only in a rain storm and it had to be pretty windy to drive us below deck. That was one thing I really liked about Higgins boats with the flat deck behind the radar mast. When at the base we put up a tarp behind the radar mast as well as on the bow. When tied to a buoy (the bow into the wind) the charthouse would act as a windbreak for the aft tarp. I usually slept under the bow tarp but when stormy I would move my cot back under the rear tarp. Very very few times do I remember sleeping in my bunk.
C. J. Willis |
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Nuge210
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Posted on: Jul 10, 2013 - 4:15pm
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CJ
Did everyone sleep on cots when on deck ? And if so, where did you stow them in the day.
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CJ Willis
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Posted on: Jul 10, 2013 - 6:47pm
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Steve: We slept on them mostly during the day but when underway and on patrol we stacked them up in the lazzerette. The officers kept theirs in their quarters.
C. J. Willis |
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