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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic: Crew Photos of PT 282 and PT 283
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My father, the late Dr. Robert T. Breed, was an officer in Ron 23. He was on the 283 and the 288.
Ā
I recently found some negatives among his belongings and was wondering if anyone would like digital copies. There was the crew of the 283 and, for some reason, the crew of the 282.

1st Photo: My dad is the officer on the far right. He told me that the 2nd photo was taken by a guy who had smuggled a Brownie camera into the base, and that the film wasn't developed for quite a while. That was his explanation for the mildewy quality.Ā

Dad was on the 283 but had been moved to the 284 a short while before she was sunk. The 284 boat was patrolling with her the night she was hit, and they took part in the rescue. I have another photo on which Dad wrote all the names and will try to send the list, if you're interested. I know the tall officer in the middle was Bill Schaffner, who was badly burned but survived. The man with his arms crossed in front of him is John Day.

Best,
Allen

PT 282

PT 283

[blue](I have created this post for Allen - he is now a new member to this forum - Dick . . . . )[/blue]

Posted By: Allen Breed | Posted on: May 26, 2019 - 6:53am
Total Posts: 2 | Joined: May 26, 2019 - 6:34am

Welcome aboard Allen. Thank you for the photos of these WWII Heros from the Greatest Generation.

Posted By: Roy Forbes | Posted on: May 26, 2019 - 9:25pm
Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm

Welcome Allen, and thank you (and Dick) for the excellent photos! I am sure that they will make some relatives day, I see a lot of posts here and elsewhere of people searching for photos of their family's history.

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: May 27, 2019 - 6:45am
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

Hi Allen, PT's 283, 284 and 285 were converted into gunboats by the USS Argonne AG-3,1 after the earlier experimental 77' Elco Gunboats wore out. The conversion consisted of removing the Higgins PT's weapons except for the Turret 50's and installing 40 mm Bofor's on the center line fore and aft. In addition, four Twin 50's mounts were retrofitted on the center line aft of the radar mast. On the night March 17/18 PT's 283 ( Ens. William D. Schaffner) and 284 ( L.R. Haspel ) were were barge hunting with the Destroyer USS Guest and a "Black Cat" aircraft in Empress Augusta Bay. Ron 23 Commander Lt. Comdr R.K. Irving on the 283 was directing the Black Cat to bomb a beached supply barge 500 yards away from the PT. Guest, with which the PT was having communication problems with fired on another barge several hundred yards down the beach. Irving told the Guest about the barge the Black Cat was going to attack. The destroyer fired another salvo and
at the same instant, enemy machine guns commenced firing from shore. PT 283's fuel tanks were hit and the PT burst into flames. One man died, three men missing, two men along with Lt CDR Irving and Ens. Schaffner were seriously injured. The quality seamanship of Ens. Haspel in PT-284 rescued most of the crew.

PT-282 would be converted into a gunboat to replace 283.

John Day was on Kennedy's PT-59 one of the three Elco 77'ers converted into Gunboats in the Fall of 1943. After PT-59's retirement from gunboat service John was transferred to 283. Following the loss of 283 John went on to serve on PT-285.

1990's PT Boater Newsletter Photo with Crew ID's, Hope this helps.

Thank You Dick posting the photo.

Wayne Traxel

Posted By: Wayne Traxel | Posted on: May 28, 2019 - 8:24am
Total Posts: 248 | Joined: Oct 11, 2006 - 5:40am

Allen
New member here although I have been reading this forum for awhile. I would like to know if you have any info on the PT 282 crew photo? My uncle Crawford Jarvis was a gunners mate on that boat according to Alyce at PT Boats inc. He is the third from the left in the back row. Do you know when or where this photo was taken or any of the other names of the crew?
If italeri gets on the ball I now have a mission to build a model of the 282.
Thanks for the info and photo you posted!
Jeff

Posted By: Jeff H | Posted on: Jun 7, 2019 - 5:38pm
Total Posts: 32 | Joined: Jun 7, 2019 - 6:00am

Dear Jeff,

I'm VERY sorry I never responded to your note. I forgot that I was made a member and am just now getting back into the swing of things.

I don't know when or by whom the photo of the 282 was taken. I found the negative in an envelope along with the one for the 283. I recently found some of Dad's military records in an old scrapbook and will look at them again to see if there's anything in there about the 282.

Stand by.

Allen

Posted By: abreed | Posted on: Sep 7, 2022 - 2:16pm
Total Posts: 12 | Joined: Sep 7, 2022 - 1:49pm

Hi all,

I saw on another post, Allen, that you've already been to the archives about the 283's sinking. I don't know if the war diaries available to you at that time or not, but just in case, here are the links.

MTB RON 23 War Diaries 3/44 pg 18:
[url]https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78384052[/url]

USS Guest War diaries 3/44 pgs 5-6:
[url]https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78411038[/url]

Both address the sinking, and Guest's goes on to list the names of the crew killed and wounded, who were brought aboard for treatment, and a few comings and goings related to the investigation. Ron 23's does name Commander, Motor Torpedo Boats, Bougainville Action Report, March 17-18, Serial 00130, though I haven't yet seen any sign of it.

Posted By: Joe Reese | Posted on: Sep 7, 2022 - 3:36pm
Total Posts: 85 | Joined: Aug 2, 2022 - 11:02am

Wow! Thanks very much for this. I can't seem to lay hands on the stuff I copied, but will keep looking. Meantime, here are some papers that I found in an old scrapbook of my Dad's.

Posted By: abreed | Posted on: Sep 9, 2022 - 5:49am
Total Posts: 12 | Joined: Sep 7, 2022 - 1:49pm

Posted By: abreed | Posted on: Sep 9, 2022 - 6:07am
Total Posts: 12 | Joined: Sep 7, 2022 - 1:49pm

Jeff,

Sorry again for not keeping closer watch on this forum. Attached is a copy of paperwork my dad had in an old scrapbook. You'll see an entry for the 282. Hope it helps.

Allen

Posted By: abreed | Posted on: Sep 9, 2022 - 11:24am
Total Posts: 12 | Joined: Sep 7, 2022 - 1:49pm

Allen
Sorry it took me this long to reply, so I guess weā€™re even!
Big thanks for posting that clear picture your father took of the 282 crew. I was shocked when I first saw it and recognized my uncle immediately (back row, third from the left). I remember him talking about being a gunner on the twin .50ā€™s. That photo may have been taken at Palawan P.I. If you look at a aerial photo of the base from 1944 the way the boats are tied up and the way the dock walkway runs alongside the boats it could be a match? My questions now are when was he on the 282 and what configuration was it in when he was on it? The crew logs you provided donā€™t seem to be dated but they show another crew member named Shipley was there at the same time and I believe he has a relative that is a member of this forum also.

Thanks!
Jeff

Posted By: Jeff H | Posted on: Sep 11, 2022 - 4:03pm
Total Posts: 32 | Joined: Jun 7, 2019 - 6:00am

Hi,

I'm pretty sure my dad didn't take the photo of the 282 crew. And I'm not sure why he had a negative. It may be a negative made from another positive. I'd have to ask a professional.

As for the lists, I'=m not sure what they are. Since the 283 is listed, it might be that they predate the sinking, which was March 17, 1944. I notice that John Day's name is not on that list, and he was aboard the 283 when it sank.

I'll keep digging around and see if I find any other clues.

Cheers-Allen

Posted By: abreed | Posted on: Sep 12, 2022 - 6:49am
Total Posts: 12 | Joined: Sep 7, 2022 - 1:49pm