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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: 70 years ago today......D-Day!!!
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70 years ago today the men of RON 2(2), 30, 34, and 35 were protecting the allied invasion force from E-boat attacks.
As it has been written "At 1600 on D-day the PT's of Squadron 34 joined the Western Task Force Area screen, which included destroyers, destroyer escorts, PC's, and British steam gunboats. The PT's were stationed on the "Mason Line," extending 6˝ miles to seaward from the beach near St. Marcouf, as an inner defense against infiltration by E-boats into the convoy unloading area. They were joined on June 7 and 8 by boats of Squadron 35, and on the 10th by those of Squadron 30. Until the end of the month, an average of 29 PT's remained on the line at all times. Boats rotated between the Mason Line and the Portland Base, usually patrolling for a week at a time, although some boats stayed on the line for as long as 3 weeks without relief. E-boats made so few attempts to penetrate the screen that PT's had no contact with enemy surface craft." In the end always the master of the understatement, John Bulkeley commented "We might have had trouble with mines, with shore batteries or with E-boats," Bulkeley said. "As it was, we didn't have any trouble at all."
Looking back today, 70 years later, all we need to say is "Thank you, Gentlemen".

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Jun 6, 2014 - 6:13am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

June 6th 70 years ago our Squadron 23 and my 242 boat was operating out of Green Island . The northern most island in the Solomon Chain. We were making nightly patrols of New Britain, New Ireland, Northern Bougainville and Buka. Our crew was elated when we heard the good news of the invasion of France. We were anxious for the war to be over in Europe so those guys could come to the Pacific and help us whip the Japs. At that time we were still a long way from Tokyo.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Jun 6, 2014 - 2:34pm
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

C.J.
Thank you for sharing, You guys in the PT Squadrons and all the rest in the Pacific War still had a long way to go. An operation in the Pacific was launched a day before Operation Overlord, on 5 June 1944 an invasion fleet departed Pearl Harbor. At 0700 on 15 June 1944 The Battle of Saipan began, within 2 hours 8000 Marines from the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions were on the beach. As a result of this battle we had a new island base from which we could launch the new Boeing B-29 Superfortress to strike Japan.
Whether in the Pacific, European, Mediterranean or Far East Theatre of Operations June 6, 1944 was just another fine and heroic day for OUR Greatest Generation!
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Jun 6, 2014 - 3:32pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am