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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: PT boat sunk along US east coast during WW2
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=451

An uncle of mine told me the story of another uncle who served on a PT boat during WW2. The PT boat was in a bay along the US east coast when a u boat snuck in, surfaced, and began firing at the PT boat. The PT boat crew fired back but the u boat eventually sank the PT boat and escaped. My uncle was wounded, received the Purple Heart, which I saw, and was told not to tell where or how he was wounded. Can any verify and possibly add to this remarkable story?

Posted By: zizzy658 | Posted on: Aug 10, 2007 - 5:51pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered

I have never heard of that story before you printed it here. Although I am sure many things happened that were never made public during the war, I find it hard to believe that a Sub could sneak in that close inside, then surface, slug it out with a PT Boat, survive, then submerge being unscathed. I will have to check my files on this one. I certainly have many questions on this subject for sure.

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Aug 10, 2007 - 8:43pm
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Good morning, Frank. I hope your exhibit's getting a lot of traffic. I'll probably not get up to see it; my loss!

The U-Boats were closer than we think. I remember my dad telling a story of a U-Boat being captured along the NC coast with day-old bread from a Charleston, SC bakery in the galley. A childhhood friend of mine who lived at Carolina Beach, NC at the time told of seeing flashes from explosions out at sea almost every night. These were likely U-Boat attacks on bauxite (aluminum ore) freighters coming up the coast from South America.

An incounter with a U-Boat is not an unlikely thing. Neither is a cover-up of such a event, potentially demoralizing to the public.

Ted Bales

Posted By: Ted Bales | Posted on: Aug 11, 2007 - 7:07am
Total Posts: 9 | Joined: Oct 29, 2006 - 4:49pm

Ted is right about there being numerous U-boat attacks along the Atlantic Seaboard (there is also at least one instance of a sub landing spies). Like Frank though, I have never heard about a U-boat PT duel. PT-200 IS listed as sunk off Newport, R.I. by collision with a submerged object (possibly a whale).

Will

Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Aug 11, 2007 - 8:30am
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm

Thanks for the fast replies. I will talk to other family members and try to gain some additional information.

Posted By: zizzy658 | Posted on: Aug 11, 2007 - 5:49pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered