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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: C.J., Earl, Jack, Pat, and other PT Vets
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Hello Gents;
There has been a lot of modeling stuff here lately and while that is good, It is also good to hear of your experiences, on the open water.. In 1991 I went through a nor'easter (26 hours right through it)off the coast of Florida heading north from key west in a 65" MK III NSW PB(Patrol Boat) , and needless to say it left a mark on my body and a few on my mind. We went completely air bound 8 times that night, and hearing those props whining is still in my minds ear. We came completely out of the water 8 times in a boat that weighed 82,500 lbs loaded (and we were!). we busted 13 stringers out of the bow as a result of "landing on our nose". If you could have seen the green water over the pilot house you would have thought we were in a Sub! Still I wish I had the filming capabilities that are out today....it was awesome!
Including myself, there was only 3 other functioning members of the crew, all the rest(8) were in a "seasick coma".
I was wondering during your time in the PT's (CJ, I know you had some rough stuff off Green Island), Did you have any rough water "adventures" you could share?
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Apr 26, 2015 - 5:49pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Ted: The 13 months I was aboard 242 I saw rough seas several times. I was one of the lucky crew members that did not get seasick in rough weather. One experience we had we were operating on patrol out of Vella La Vella > We didn't leave for patrol that night until almost dark. We weren't out of the cove a hundred yards until we knew it was going to rougher than hell. Commander Smith the commander of the squadron was with us as Section leader. They opened up to about 35 mph right through it. Sometime the whole boat would be all the way out of the water. The engines would rev up and whole boat would shake. Water was just pouring over the boat when we would hit the waves. At times it felt like the boat was going to capsize. We crew were all behind the charthouse standing hanging on to the radar mast braces. Had to keep knees flexed to take the shock. We went out about 40 miles before the officers gave up and we headed back to the base.

I recall a storm one night at Green when it was too rough to even get out of the cove. We tied up to buoys at Green out in the cove instead of in the bushes like at Vella La Vella.. During the night the wind was so strong that we started dragging the buoy that we were tied to. There were no officers aboard so Bob Pratt our quartermaster took over. We fired up the two wing engines and pulled away from the buoy. We threw out our anchor but it would not hold against that strong wind. It was really dark in the rain. We idled around in the cove and finally found a Ron 20 boat that let us tie behind them and their buoy held both boats for the rest of the night.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Apr 27, 2015 - 3:00pm
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

CJ and Ted those are some scary times for sure, it must have been tough. I remember taking a fishing boat out of Glouster Mass around 1981 or so, and the Captain said there was a storm out ahead of us, nothing bad he said, but it might get a bit rough. He asked the 20 or so of us aboard if we wanted to go fishing or turn back. Not wanting to sound like a whimp, I said let's fish, along with most of the guys. We started hitting some rain about 15 minutes later, and the water was starting to churn up. Our poles hit the water, and within 10 minutes we started to get pounded, the rain picked up the wind picked up , and the waves started as well. I would say within ten minutes people started getting sick and were scrambling for the head. Let me tell you, those waves were pretty big, I would guess 5 to 8 feet, and I was pretty scared, and then sick as a dog. There were bodies lying all over the boat, and so much puke, you would slip in it. The Skipper decided to head back in, and the boat was rocking around something fierce. NEVER FORGET IT, let me tell you.

Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: Apr 27, 2015 - 4:44pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am

C.J.,
Reading your post it made me feel like I was living it myself. Thanks for sharing that moment with us.
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Apr 27, 2015 - 5:38pm
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

PT-154 (RON 9) rode out a monsoon in the Noumea, New Caledonia area sometime in Feb. 1943. Eight RON 9 boats had just arrived in Noumea from Panama and were soon to head for Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. Quite a few vessels were told to leave the harbor and head for the open sea. PT 154 bounced around like a cork in the water but we had no material damage. I understand some of the cruisers/battleships had more serious. damage.

PT-486 (RON 4) rode out a hurricane in the Newport, RI area sometime in the Spring of 1944 (I think). The boat was sent out from the Melville base and told to find a place to ride out the oncoming storm. The skipper picked a spot just off of the Newport Naval base and anchored there. Most of the crew relaxed and read or slept. I was in the chartroom watching the barometer. It dropped but there was no real danger. Again the boat just bounced around. There was no damage. I don't recall what damage if any occurred to CT or RI. I think Melville base had minor damage.

Posted By: Pat Rogers | Posted on: Apr 29, 2015 - 8:52am
Total Posts: 72 | Joined: Oct 10, 2006 - 3:21am

Pat and CJ;
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I lived on the water most of my life and always respected it, but after reading yours and remembering mine, I know we gained a new level of respect for the sea, due to those experiences.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Apr 30, 2015 - 7:28am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

I never rode on Elco boat but I have often wondered where the crew could huddle up underway during a rough storm. We could get behind the charthouse around the radar mast on a Higgins boat there is quite a bit of room but on an Elco the day room was there around the radar mast. I don't think there was enough room in the cockpit for the crew. We were not allowed to go below deck when underway on patrol.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Apr 30, 2015 - 9:28am
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

Thanks so much for sharing your story Pat, I know I speak for others that we sure do enjoy when you, CJ and other PT VETS relate your stories to us.

Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: May 1, 2015 - 5:22pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am

Ted another rough seas story. In January 1944 we were sent to Tulagi to get repaired and new Mk 13 torpedoes after an encounter with some armed Jap barges. When we left to Tulagi to go back up to Treasury we were ordered to tow an open type personnel barge with inboard engine back to Rendova. When got out past the nets we hit rough seas. We had a wire rope tow cable tied to the barge. We tried different speeds and finally towed it about half way to the Russels. The seas got rougher and the water would pile up and break over the bow. We stopped once and bailed it out. We started up again and we hit a big wave and the barge completely filled with water up to the gunnels and that broke the tow cable. The barge had kapok all around the gunnels so it floated ok. There was no hope of bailing it out or towing it any further so we abandoned a $10k boat out in the ocean. We were off the coast of the Russels. They radioed in to the base there the location where we abandoned it. We never knew it they recovered it or not.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: May 4, 2015 - 1:07pm
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

Hello Everyone,
Ted, thank you so much for posting this topic.
Our passion is in hearing the stories from you guy's.

I will check on Earl and see why we haven't heard from him.
I know he has some good stories too.
Thank you to Ted, CJ and Pat for sharing your stories.
We cant get enough of that stuff, keep it coming !
Julie

Posted By: MN Gal | Posted on: May 5, 2015 - 6:30am
Total Posts: 126 | Joined: Jan 4, 2012 - 7:57am

HI TED AND GUYS.SORRY IT TOK ME SO LONG TO ANSWER.JULIE SENT ME E MAIL REGARDING YOUR POST.AS YOU KNOW I CAN HARDLY SEE ANYMORE BUT IF I STARE A LOT AT EACH LETTER I CAN MAKE SOME STUFF OUT.I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO READ ALL YOUR COMMENTS
WHEN I WAS ONE THE 108 BOAT WE STARTESD OUT FOR PATROL TO NEW IRELAND.WHEN WE GOT ABOUT 3/4M OF THE WAY TO STATION WE REAN INTO A TYPHOON.THE BOW OF THE BOAT WENT UP ON THE WQVES AND THEMN DIPPED INTO THE MNEXT WAVE AWASHING US COMPLETLY.AT OTHTHER TIME WE WENT UP SO HIGH THE WEAVES SPREAD OUT AND WE WERE COMPLETLY OUT OF THE WATER.AIRBORN,SO TO SPEAK.WE PANCAKED DOWN INT AIR AND FLATTENED OUT ON BOTTON OF SWELL.WHEN WE HIT BOTTOM THE VBOAT HIT BIOTTOM FGIRST AND THEN WE HIT THE DECK AFTERWARDS.IT FINALLY GOT SDO B AD TJHE SKIPPER MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN BACK TO BASE.NEEDLESS TO SAy it was a rough sail./the water spray was like needles on out bobodies and were swamped with water.this is where i received my injury to my right side of face under the eye.i asked for premissiomn to try and below deck to get my dungaree shirt to keep the sparay fro m hurting so mnuch.i was giecn permissi9on rto do so by the skipper to go below.wehen i reasched into my locker we hit a large wave that threw the boat into the air.ther deck came up uumnder my feet and threw me up into tjhe air.my face hit the board betweemn the bunk first.it was like someone grrabbed me by the ankl;es and swuung me down face first.when i did not return topside the skipper came below to check on me. i was unconsious/my right cheek split wide open sop the cheekbone potrusded out of it,.i wass covered with blood.they got m,e into the day room omn the bemnch.the skippeer offered to try and sew me up.i said no as the boat was still going all over the place.i suggested he get me some adhesive tape and in crissed crossed ithe open wound shut.i also asked for some of his brandy to help kill the pauin which i was given.when we got back to base i went to sick bay,they said too much time had passed to stitvh it up nand thay my usung the tape was the best i could h av e dione it tookl a while but it finally healeed. i still have the crescent shaped scar under my right eye.
amen

earl richmond

Posted By: earl | Posted on: May 11, 2015 - 12:47pm
Total Posts: 197 | Joined: Oct 18, 2006 - 12:13pm

Earl;
Great to hear from you and thanks for sharing. I know you gained a new respect for the Sea and Good Old Mother Nature that night!
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: May 11, 2015 - 2:51pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am