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» Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic:
just thinking
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i know this has no relevance to anything but as i get older i tend to think more of the "old days" on the boats.how many left have thought about when they were going out on opatrol about how beautiful the sunsets were?how the sun rising in the mornings above the oceam brought a glimmer of life back into us that we have survived to another.when we saw the sunset how many thought it might be our last one and said a silent prayer for ourselves and our shipmates.when there was a moon we did not always think that we were able to be spotted by the enemy.we sometimes thought that same moon was also shining above our loved ones back home.when wei miss you all earl
earl richmond
Posted By: EARL RICHMOND | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 6:45am
Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm
This is a beautiful shared thought Earl. I am sure everyone here on the message board can appreciate this. We young guys that were never there, do not think of this when we research the boats. We are so wrapped up in how guns worked, or engines ran, or torpedo's fired, that sometimes we do not stop to think of the personel side of the common PT Boat Sailor. We do not take into consideration his thoughts about going into battle, or his reaction under fire. We do not think of how he feels about losing shipmates, or what his thoughts are about his loved ones back home. I am very happy that you shared this with us Earl, it certainly brings us back to the reality of War..........
Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 8:17am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am
Thanks for sharing, Earl.......And thanks for serving.
Will
Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 8:29am
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm
Hi Earl: I recall very well facing those beautiful sunsets on the way west from Green to patrol New Britain and New Ireland. It was about a 3 hour run and we made those patrols quite often. I also remember the sunrises on the way back next morning after a night of no sleep. Glad the patrol was over and all our crew safe. No worry about float planes and shore batteries. I also remember when land was sighted at Green - the big race - as all the boats in the section pulled in line - opened all three Packards wide open to see who could get to the entrance of the lagoon first. We were always anxious to get refueled, guns cleaned and then we could hit the sack for some sleep. Ready to do it all over again the next night if our boat was called.
I also recall patrols when the sea was so rough that we had to stand up with flexed knees and hold on to the radar mast. (I have had one knee replaced already) Everything in the crews quarters would be thrown out of the bunks and into the floor. The boat would plow into the waves and water would come over the bow 1-2 foot deep. The screws would come out of the water and the engines would rev up. The skipper at the wheel had to face all that spray. It was a game for young kids. Us old men can reminisce about it now.
C. J. Willis
Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 2:32pm
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm
You are the man, C.J.
Will
Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 2:33pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm
Just thinking…..keep thinking brother….keep thinking…..I like it.
Posted By: Mark Culp | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 3:30pm
Total Posts: 135 | Joined: Oct 15, 2006 - 2:56pm
Thanks C. J. These are the thoughts that mean a great deal to us young guys that were not there. I can only imagine riding a 78 foot wooden boat in those terrible seas, things crashing about, and holding on for dear life..........
Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 4:05pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am
BOB HOPE ,JERRY COLONA,FRANCIS LANGFORD AT EMMIRAU////KAYE KYSER AT TACLOBAN///THE "SERVICE"HOTEL OFF THE PIER AT NEW CALEDONIA///THE NATIVE BOYS WITH " I HAVE A SISTER"///MAKINK HOME MADE FISHING HOOKS AND USING THAT HARD CHEESE FOR BAIT///SHOPOOTING AT FLYING FISH ON WAY BACK TO BASE ON WAY BACK FROM PATRO////HOME MADE ALKY---RAISIN JACK AND BRANDY @ 30.00 A QUART///THE CHOW LINE @ TREASURY,GREEN.THE EVERY NIGHT AIR RAIDS AT GREEN,TREASURY AND STERLING// THE WOMP-WOMP OF BOMBS EXPLODINMG 24/7 AT MUNDA///WASHING CLOTHES IN THE BOATS ROOSTER TAIL///YTHE NATIVE HEAD HUNTERS///SCREAMING NOISES IN THE JUNGLE AT NIGHT///EXTERMINATING RATSA AND ROACHES FROM THE BOAT///THE HARD WORK OF OVERHAUL///COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FOOD---HEATND HUMIFITY///RACING ACROSS EACH OTHERS WAKE TO PICK UP SPEED///ALL THE INSECTS WERE GIANTS//WASHING OUT OF OOUR HELMITS. OK VETS ADD TO THIS LIST.MY BRAIN IS STARTING TO HURT
earl richmond
Posted By: EARL RICHMOND | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 4:31pm
Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm
Wonderful stuff, Guys.
The boats were just boats, really, but you men (boys at that time) made the reputations and put fear where it needed to go. A salute to those who didn't make it home-- and another to those who did. You are all heroes- not because of what you did, but simply because you did what you were called upon to do with passion and compassion, with fear in your own hearts, with a loneliness so deep that it hurt. You served a common purpose during an uncommon time and returned to re-establish a normalcy that would serve you throughout your lives- rarely, if ever, speaking the unspeakable. You guys are (and were) the greatest!
I thank each of you for your service. I wish I could have known enough earlier so that I could have thanked my father, as well.
Allan
Posted By: Allan | Posted on: Oct 26, 2010 - 7:58pm
Total Posts: 161 | Joined: Sep 18, 2007 - 7:07pm
Allan, very well said. Thanks Earl & CJ for sharing these remembrances. I can almost see the images you describe; the salt-spray of the rooster tails; the sunrises & sunsets; like on the silver screen. I am enjoying hearing your stories. Thank you again for serving our country and for giving us the straight-poop of how it was.
Randy Finfrock
Posted By: Randy Finfrock | Posted on: Oct 27, 2010 - 8:35pm
Total Posts: 97 | Joined: Nov 27, 2006 - 6:21pm
hey cj remember when we got on patrol station at new ireland.we would sit in the twin 50,s turrett with those damned binoculars glued to our eyes lookin at the island for whatever signs of activity we could see in the darkness of the night.i will always remember the dark sillouett of the island against the light of the moon,if there was any.it was a long island with high hills.we would travel slowly the length of the island,turn around and keep doing thsat all night.if we spotted a light or glimmer of something/a truck light/a lit cigarette/a glimmer from something shining/we would let out a yell so the skipper copuld check it out and decide what to do.if action was called for,and sometimes not/he would yell for us to commence firing in the direction of the sighting.what a charge we felt when we opened up.sometimes we would get a response from the beach and sometimes not.all our guns were at the ready.it was always a relief to get out of there in one piece.we had to watch for the pointed stakes the enemy had planted in the shallow waters with tghe points up to impale us and the reefs we could get stuck on.the silence of the night on patrol of the island was eerie.you never knew if they ere also watching us too.you had that feeling they wee. IT WAS ALWAYS A LOOONG NIGHT.
earl richmond
Posted By: EARL RICHMOND | Posted on: Oct 28, 2010 - 5:54am
Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm
Each of us as younsters, see's the boats at full speed, rooster tail flying high, then WHAM! those torpedoes flying from their tubes. So many folks not up to speed on the PT BOATS of WWII think that this is how the boats operated. In reality, patrols could sometimes become very boring, mufflers on, bubbling along at a mere 6 knots, looking as Earl said for the tell tale sign of trouble. Operating at night, must have played with ones nerves, as objects must have always popped up when in fact because of strained eyes in was really nothing at all.
Imagine patroling for four hours or so in the pitch black ocean then being hit with Shore batteries, or running into a Jap Destroyer. What a wake up call. Trying to catch a few winks when off duty, must have been very difficult as well, as not knowing what you might run up against at any moment. would keep you from really sleeping. I love these stories from our PT BOAT VETS, because you can close your eyes and imagine what it was like. Every time I take out my boat on the lake during the summer, when coming back to the dock at night, I pretend that I am on a PT BOAT and imagine we are on patrol. Funny, because my older sister and her husband have a nice Poontoon boat, and everytime we see them, I race ahead and hide in the coves. When they are just in range, we come storming out at them, racing in at full throttle. They all laugh and tell everyone later that I made a torpedo attack on them again.........
Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Oct 28, 2010 - 6:53am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am
The recent well written letters from Earl Richmond, C.J. Willis, Allan and Frank Andruss touched me greatly. I like permission from the writers to include them in my forth coming book AMERICAN PT BOATS IN WW II
Vol. II. If granded please email me at victorkchun@aol.com to give me
their ranks, boat numbers, etc at the time of service.
Thank you all for your help and the service to your country.
Victor Chun
Victor K Chun
Posted By: victorkchun | Posted on: Oct 28, 2010 - 8:57am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered
Yes Earl I hated those moonlight nights when you could see the sandy beaches because you knew if they were visible to us then we were really visible out on the water. I recall one moonlight night the officers got the wise idea to go through Buka Passage between Buka and Bougainville. The section leader was on our boat so we were the lead of three boats. As we were idling through we could see the shore real well. I was in the port gun turret looking through those binoculars as a lookout. About midway through we were about 1/4 mile off shore when all hell broke loose. from the Buka side. Shore batteries opened up - these were big guns (5 inchers). You could hear the shells whirring just over the boat and exploding in the water on the other side. Mr. McLane,skipper, opened the throttles to get out of there and he opened them too quickly and one engine conked out but we still had two. He yelled back for John Grace, torpedoman, to open the smoke generator. We were almost immediately covered in smoke. That smoke is really what saved us. Trosclair, the motor mac in the engine room got the engine started and we laid smoke and zig zagged out of there. They continued firing on us out for about four miles before we got out of range. Needless to say we never attempted to go through Buka Passage again. I don't know if any other boats ever went through there or not.
C. J. Willis
Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Oct 28, 2010 - 10:02am
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm
TO EARL RICHMOND , CJ WILLIS AND THE OTHER WORLD WAR VETS: THANK YOU FOR YOUR WARTIME SERVICE AND THANKS FOR COMING HOME AND TELLING US ALL YOUR STORIES.
THERE'S A GREAT ARTICLE IN THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OF "ALL HANDS" FEATURING THE SOC MK 5, THE HEIR APPARENT TO THE LEGACY AND TRADITION OF THE PT BOATS. LAST WEEK I FOUND A BRIEF 3-MINUTE NEWS VIDEO ONLINE ABOUT AMERICAN ADVISORS IN THE PHILIPPINES. AT THE END, THERE WAS THE BRIEFEST 2-SECOND SHOT OF A SOC MK5 AT HIGH SPEED, WITH NO AUDIO. I HADN'T HEARD ANY MENTION OF THE SOC's BEING DEPLOYED OVERSEAS RECENTLY. BUT THERE IT WAS,
82' LONG, 45 KNOTS, AND THIS ONE WAS RIGGED WITH TWO TWIN-50's AND A TWIN 7.62. YOU ONLY HAVE TO SQUINT YOUR EYES JUST A LITTLE AND IT COULD BE THE 34 BOAT OR THE 41 BOAT UNDERWAY IN THOSE SAME WATERS 68 YEARS AGO...
ROSS FISHER
ross@dupagels.lib.il.us
Posted By: ROSS FISHER | Posted on: Oct 28, 2010 - 1:04pm
Total Posts: 82 | Joined: Jul 23, 2008 - 10:03am
What about that, Ted? Any Fives forward-deployed?
Will
Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Oct 28, 2010 - 4:07pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm