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» Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic: bullnose
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did anyone else ever "ride the bullnosee cLEAT RINE"ON THE BOW OF THE BOAT WHILE UNDERWATY BESIDES ME? WHAT A GREAT FEELING RHAT WAS,NOTHING IN FRONT OF YOU BUT THE GR4EAT BIG OCEAN EARL

earl richmond

Posted By: EARL RICHMOND | Posted on: Jul 8, 2012 - 11:05am
Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm



THAT MUST HAVE BEEN SOME RIDE EARL, THANK GOD YOU NEVER FELL, THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER FOUND YOU.




Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jul 8, 2012 - 11:51am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



I've seen several photos of crewmen "riding the nose". It must have been great!


Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Jul 8, 2012 - 12:07pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm



we had to do it sometimes to watch for logs and stuff,rspecially after bad weather. earl

earl richmond

Posted By: EARL RICHMOND | Posted on: Jul 8, 2012 - 12:17pm
Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm



Earl: I have straddled the bull nose many times on our way out to patrol from Green Island to New Britain New Ireland. It has to be a pretty calm sea. I would get my 45 automatic and shoot at flying fish as they were scared out of the water. Don't think I ever hit one. Lots of fun though for a kid. Uncle sam furnished all the ammunition we wanted. We made that run a lot from March until Nov '44. Traveling west on that run I saw many beautiful South Pacific sunsets.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Jul 8, 2012 - 12:31pm
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm



HI EARL

I TALKED TO MAURY HOOPER HE WAS ON PT238 IN RON20 AND

HE SAID HE DID THAT WHEN HE GOT OFF WATCH DOWN IN THE

ENGINE ROOM. HIS SKIPPER WANTED SOMEBODY TO WATCH

OUT FOR COCONUTS. I THINK CJ TOLD ME HE DID SOMETIMES

TOO ON HIS BOAT PT242. GLAD YOU ARE BACK EARL!

JERRY
PT658
PORTLAND

Jerry Gilmartin

Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Jul 8, 2012 - 12:33pm
Total Posts: 1469 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm



hi cj i didnt hit any of the flying fish eitgher, we patroled new ireland and apple s lot. don,t rthink the sunssets and sunruises could have miore beautiful any place else, miost peaceful timees of the day watching them from the gun turretts.



thanks jerry earl

earl richmond

Posted By: EARL RICHMOND | Posted on: Jul 8, 2012 - 3:24pm
Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm



Oh Yea......

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Steve%20Nugent/Ron232.jpg[/image]

Steve

Posted By: Nuge210 | Posted on: Jul 9, 2012 - 5:46pm
Total Posts: 323 | Joined: Jun 4, 2008 - 7:50am



RON 27 boats

[image]http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/prjm3/Bullnose1.jpg[/image]

Difficult to see in the second picture, but he's there riding the bullnose.

[image]http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o102/prjm3/Bullnose2.jpg[/image]

Randy McConnell (Randall J. McConnell III)

Posted By: PRJM3 | Posted on: Jul 9, 2012 - 7:17pm
Total Posts: 94 | Joined: May 25, 2009 - 2:47pm



Hello Earl, good to see you're back.

Herb Jenne's PT-245 spring 1945.

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Wayne%20Traxel/PT245Spring1945-2.jpg[/image]

Wayne

Posted By: Wayne Traxel | Posted on: Jul 9, 2012 - 7:47pm
Total Posts: 248 | Joined: Oct 11, 2006 - 5:40am



Wayne, it almost looks like they have painted 2 eyes, on the radar dome.................



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jul 9, 2012 - 9:04pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



Via Randy Finfrock - [image]http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x164/willday6/PT-268.png[/image]

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 12:04pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm



Will,

What boat is in that photo ? That is a great shot.

Steve

Posted By: Nuge210 | Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 6:24pm
Total Posts: 323 | Joined: Jun 4, 2008 - 7:50am



Hi Steve, I was having trouble getting this into photo-bucket and I called on Will who was kind enough to post it for me. (Thanks Will!)Here are all of the details:

THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY RM2c BILL R. TATROE in OCT 1943.

In the foreground is the PT-268, one of the squadron of PT 265-276.

The story:

While assigned to the MTB Pre-Commissioning Detail at NOLA,
Bill was on the lead boat with Skipper Lt. James Van Sicklen (he
thinks it was from the PT-265 that he took this photo).

They were assigned to run this squadron up the Intra-coastal
Canal from New Orleans to New York, where the boats were
handed over to the Russians in the lend-lease program. The trip
was made from 10 to 24 October 1943.

This is what Bill told me about the sailor on the bullnose:

“Those guys rode on the bow for a purpose! They were lookouts
for logs and debris and trash that would typically be floating in
Lake Pontchartrain and the cluttered bayous and canals.” [July 2004]

Most of these sailors returned to NOLA then ended up in Ron-16B, and left in November for Miami Shakedown, then in December for Panama, running on their own bottoms to reach Taboga.



Randy Finfrock

Posted By: Randy Finfrock | Posted on: Jul 12, 2012 - 8:37pm
Total Posts: 97 | Joined: Nov 27, 2006 - 6:21pm



I found this picture of riding the nose

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Nathaniel%20Smith/PT-171ridingthenose.png[/image]

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Jul 19, 2012 - 8:40am
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am



EARL - HENRY BEAZLEY RODE THE NOSE OF THE 209 DURING THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE - HE HAS A GREAT STORY ABOUT BEING A LOOKOUT FOR SEMI-SUBMERGED OBJECTS.

WHILE HE WAS ENJOYING THE RIDE HE NOTICED LARGE SPLASHES OFF THE BOW. BEING A ROOKIE REPLACEMENT ON THE BOAT, HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE. WHEN HE TURNED AROUND TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH THE SKIPPER AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, HE FOUND THE ENTIRE BOAT CREW RUNNING TO GENERAL QUARTERS AND THROWING ON COMBAT GEAR. TURNS OUT THEY WERE BEING ENGAGED AT GREAT DISTANCE BY SHORE BATTERIES ON THE ISLE OF MANDRIER. HE OBVIOUSLY JUMPED UP AND JOINED THE REST OF THE CREW AS THE BOAT STARTED EVASIVE TURNS.

I ALWAYS HAVE WIDE WONDER AT THE LACK OF STORIES OF PT SAILORS FLYING OFF THE BOATS IN COMBAT! ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WERE JUST HOLDING ON WITH ONE HAND ON THE BULLNOSE!

GREAT TOPIC...THANKS FOR BRINGING IT UP.

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net


Posted By: newsnerd99 | Posted on: Jul 20, 2012 - 11:16am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



EARL AND CJ,

DID EVERYONE GET A CHANCE TO RIDE THE BULLNOSE ?

I'M THINKING PARTICULAR GUYS MIGHT RIDE AS LOOKOUTS, BUT ALMOST ANYONE COULD WHILE SAILING BACK TO BASE.

Steve

Posted By: Nuge210 | Posted on: Jul 21, 2012 - 9:30am
Total Posts: 323 | Joined: Jun 4, 2008 - 7:50am



Steve: On our boat about anyone except the motor mac, radioman and quartermaster on duty might be up on the bow on the way out to the patrol area. The sea had to be pretty calm though. We would have sometimes 4-5 guys on the bow. One on the bull nose the others with feet hanging over the bow hanging on to the grab rail enjoying the wind in our faces. We never rode the bow much coming back from patrol. Too tired after being up all night. We just tried to find a dry place on deck to lay down on our life jacket to sleep. Coming back from patrol when land was sighted at the base however everyone was awake for the race with the other boats in the section. The boats would all line up even then open up and race to the entrance of the cove. Our boat was one of the faster Higgins. McIntosh, the motor mac, would remove the air mesh covers from the super chargers allowing more air to the carburetors which would give us a couple more inches of manofold pressure thus 3-4 more mph. That was a secret which our crew kept.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Jul 21, 2012 - 11:08am
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm



Great story CJ! Love the race to the cove...

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net


Posted By: newsnerd99 | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 12:50am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



C.J. I can just see the boats lined up for the ride into the cove. Racing the boats after a Patrol must have been a great way to get rid of stress, with all bows riding high, and those mighty Packard Engines roaring along....



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 5:42am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



Frank In races, we could hold our own with other Higgins boats but you know Elco's could beat us just about all time especially if they had a good bottom and good engines. In a race they seemed to plane out better. No one could keep up with those 77 footers though. They could really go and beat anyone even the new Elco 80's.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 8:18am
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm




Frank In races, we could hold our own with other Higgins boats but you know Elco's could beat us just about all time especially if they had a good bottom and good engines. In a race they seemed to plane out better. No one could keep up with those 77 footers though. They could really go and beat anyone even the new Elco 80's.

C. J. Willis


I can see it now! Frank with a 1/72 scale Revell PT kit is heading over to Stan's to ask stand to build Frank a Higgins, a 77' Elco and put all three of them on a base in a racing diorama.

Cheers

"Give me a faster PT boat for I'd like to get out of harm's way!"

Posted By: PeterTareBuilder | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 9:16am
Total Posts: 494 | Joined: Jun 24, 2008 - 5:59pm



One of our vets from PT238 Maury Hooper told me a story of the big race held on July 4th 1945 where four squadrons of PT Boats Ron 16, Ron 20 and 2 others, (one of which had a 77 foot Elco) all based in Mindoro had a race over a course of 10 miles out at sea. There were 2 boats marking the starting gate and two boats marking the finish. Maury's boat the 238 had to "steal" new sparl plugs and magnetos to tune the boat up. They also permanently defeated the overspeed trip. The whole crew off watch went up onto the bow and laid down, and all the guns were made as aerodynamic as possible. They were up to the last mile about 3 boatlengths ahead of the 77 foot Elco, when the Elco jumped a wave and here engines ttripped on overspeed. The PT238 won the race by 5 boatlengths. The Quartermasters timesd the race and they had covered 10 miles in 8 minutes and the engines were turning at 3200 rpm (max rpms were supposedly 3000. 10 miles in 8 minutes is 75 mph. Maury is the fastest PT Boater! Jerry PT658

Jerry Gilmartin

Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 11:38am
Total Posts: 1469 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm



Great stories, guys!!

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 1:36pm
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm



Not a bad idea about the three boats, although with all the projects that STAN has to do for me, that would be way down the line. At the moment, he is building me a paper PT-109, and working on the WWII PT BOAT SCOOTER.

C.J., I had heard from many of the Veterans about how fast those 77 Footers were, and that 80 Footer could plane out pretty quickly, but I don't think any of them could beat Elco's first 70 Footers, which had to be pretty darn quick...................



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 2:25pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



Frank,
Just to be accurate, you should make sure on the race diorama to display the 78 foot HIGGINS boat in the FRONT of those slow Elco boats! Ha Ha! Jerry

Jerry Gilmartin

Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 3:41pm
Total Posts: 1469 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm



not surrtr if anuome coulf tifre yhr bullnose.i think if anyone was gtrr he was ASKED TO DOM IT.IT WAS DONE MOSTLU WHRN LEAVING T HE COVE TO GO ON PSTROL.ESPECIALLY FTER A STORM WHEN ALL THE DEBRIS EAAS IN THE WATER,
THE JAPANESE GAD A THING ABOOPUR TAKING LOGS AND CUTTING A POINT ON ONE END THEEN PLACING THE OTHEER WEBD DIWN ON THE BOTT OPM.THIS WAS DOBE FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPALLING THE BOATS,.I DION,T RTRMEMBER GHEARING OF ANY OF THEM BEING IMMPALLED THOUGH

earl richmond

Posted By: EARL RICHMOND | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 3:49pm
Total Posts: 319 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 1:50pm



Jerry

Just for you, I might have that HIGGINS out in front, but only by a inch, Ha, Ha. Earl thanks for your take on the riding up front on the boats and the Japanese tricks to try and snag one of the boats. Boy, those Japs sure must have hated those PT BOATS................



Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jul 23, 2012 - 4:00pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am



I agree with Jerry.

Bob

Posted By: Bob | Posted on: Jul 24, 2012 - 6:13pm
Total Posts: 181 | Joined: Jun 8, 2010 - 6:21pm