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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic:
Ron 16 Combat Diary - Al Piotter, CCS
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Below is a PDF of Ron 16’s Combat Diary by Al Piotter, CCS (Chief Ships Cook), co-authored and completed by his widow Celia.
Celia gave me a copy of the manuscript when she visited PT658 with her daughter back in 2003. It is a pdf file that is 10.1 Megs file size.
I was reminded of this from the current post about PT230. By the way PT230 is mentioned in this Diary, it is similar to the information written in At Close Quarters, but a few more details.Â
[b]Click link below to down load the PDF file to your browser:
RON16_diary_by_CCS_Al_Piotter.pdf[/b]
[b]Click the link below to download the PDF to your computer from Dropbox:
RON16_diary_by_CCS_Al_Piotter.pdf
[/b]
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR
Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Nov 5, 2023 - 1:40pm
Total Posts: 1484 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm
I want to thank Dick for all of his help in getting this posted to the Forum for me. I could not have done it without his help![:-cheers-:]
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR
Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Nov 6, 2023 - 12:34pm
Total Posts: 1484 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm
One more interesting note about this document. At the end on pages 139-149 is a hand written Manuscript from LT Don Shallow. (A former RON16 boat Skipper). He left RON16 to be voluntarily assigned to the OSS in order to train for a secret mission called “Project Javaman”. The goal I have since found out was to purposely scuttle explosive filled PT boats (remotely controlled and driven) to collapse a strategic railroad tunnel. The explosive filled boats would be purposely sunk to place them just above the Japanese Shimonoseki Railroad tunnel that connects Honshu island with the southernmost island of Kyushu. By destroying this undersea tunnel, re-enforcements would have difficulty being moved to help repel the projected Landings of US Forces on the shores of Kyushu. Of course Don Shallow was not told exactly what he was training for and he even guessed it may have been planned to deliver an atomic bomb! Anyway I thought it was super interesting to get some insight into this part of our wartime efforts of the OSS.
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR
Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Nov 6, 2023 - 1:53pm
Total Posts: 1484 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm
The explosive filled and steel cribbed remotely piloted PTs were only used in the Navy Project Stinger with test conducted in 1944. Project was halted in Dec 44. The Elco 80' C36204 hull was built specifically for the project. Tests were conducted using PT140 equipped with remote TV and driven by the control boat PT-564. For project Stinger, the PTs were the first step to clear a path through harbor mine fields for the follow on Explosive packed remote piloted DEs, which were then to be followed by an explosive packed remote piloted AK to create a Halifax/Bergen type detonation.
The OSS Javaman only used Army boats, such as the 85,' with an external civilian boat disguise.
Posted By: Andy Small | Posted on: Nov 6, 2023 - 2:40pm
Total Posts: 265 | Joined: Nov 20, 2013 - 9:04pm
Thanks Andy!
Yes he talks about remotely piloting boats of several types in his MS I know he mentions being part of Javaman specifically. I think they figured a former PT skipper would be a good choice to drive the small craft using a joystick in a B17 and a TV camera!
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR
Posted By: Jerry Gilmartin | Posted on: Nov 7, 2023 - 12:09pm
Total Posts: 1484 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 11:16pm