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» Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic:
8 NEW MELVILLE PHOTOS - From Frank J Andruss Sr.
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=645
A couple of new images of Melville, from Fank J Andruss, Sr's collection:
MELVILLE PICTURES
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/melville-027.jpg[/image]
#27 Interesting picture showing PT 534 entering Cove to the finger Pier's. Boat has just come back from Training.
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/melville-028.jpg[/image]
#28. PT 317 in January 1945. A nice layer of ice and snow cover the boat in Melville.
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/melville-029.jpg[/image]
#29. Training gear and torpedo tubes litter the ground at the waters edge. Notice all the quonsett huts in the background.
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/melville-030.jpg[/image]
#30. Taken in January 1945, the cove area by the finger piers is ice leading out to Naragansett Bay.
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/melville-031.jpg[/image]
#31. November 1944, shows the boats at the Finger Pier at Melville. Notice PT 101 is a Huckins Boat. The boats to the left of her are Elco's
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/melville-032.jpg[/image]
#32. Another look at the iced over Cove by the finger Pier's. The boat in the centeris PT 545. Taken February 1945.
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/melville-033.jpg[/image]
#33. PT 315 ( left ) and PT 139, pointed out and ready for training. A great shot at the Finger Pier. Both boats carry no Torpedoes.
Posted By: Dick | Posted on: Mar 13, 2008 - 7:41pm
Total Posts: 1417 | Joined: Aug 27, 2006 - 6:36pm
Thanks, Dick, for posting Frank's very interesting photos -- thanks to Frank, also.
If I recall correctly, JFK was "skipper" of the 101 for a period of time as an instructor at Melville, before he shipped overseas.
Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Mar 14, 2008 - 5:34am
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am
Interesting note on the Elco on the left in the "PT-101" photo. It looks like her torpedo tubes are the model similar to those carried by Ron 16 Higgins boats late in the war. The only place I have seen those tubes on Elcos is in the movie THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (which used some of the MTBSTC boats for filming in Florida).
Will
Posted By: Will Day | Posted on: Mar 14, 2008 - 7:26am
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined: Oct 8, 2006 - 4:19pm
Hello Dick and Frank these are great photos, but the one that caugth my attention is the one with the tubes. Leaning against the breach of the first torpedo is an excellent view of a conversion ring mount for the twin 50's that replaced the Dewandre mounts on some 77' Elco's. This mount was replaced by MK-17's on state side 77's before being shipped overseas.
I've been looking for this view for years. Thanks again.
Wayne Traxel
Posted By: Wayne Traxel | Posted on: Mar 14, 2008 - 1:55pm
Total Posts: 248 | Joined: Oct 11, 2006 - 5:40am
Close up of turret rings:
[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/Turret-Rings-01.jpg[/image]
Modified Melville photo
Posted By: Dick | Posted on: Mar 14, 2008 - 5:39pm
Total Posts: 1417 | Joined: Aug 27, 2006 - 6:36pm
Frank;
I agree with Wayne, I also have never seen a shot of the .50 cal replacement mount for 77' Elco's like this, this is a great photo!!!!
Thanks again!
TED
Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Mar 14, 2008 - 6:30pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am
Dick, This is Excellent! Thanks for the enlargment, didn't notice the other second mount behind the first showing a good clear front view of this elusive gun mount. Looks like a total of three + the Dewandre rings that the mount sat in.
Well Ted, after all this time we finally know what the turrets looked like on PT-48 and 47, 38 and 39 and no doubt you know of a few more.
My Thanks again Dick for enlarging this portion of the photo.
Wayne Traxel
Posted By: Wayne Traxel | Posted on: Mar 14, 2008 - 7:21pm
Total Posts: 248 | Joined: Oct 11, 2006 - 5:40am
Wayne;
You bet! this photo is just awesome! You and I have needed this photo for years.
Take care,
TED
Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Mar 16, 2008 - 7:34pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am
Drew
You are correct in that John F Kennedy took command of PT 101 sometime in December 1943. If memory serves me right, he lead a 4 boat division sailing to Florida. He was in command of PT 101, when the boats prop became fouled because of a rope. Kennedy jumped overboard in the freezing water to remove it. Several days later he wound up in the Hospital with a high fever. Shortly after he was shipped to the pacific, and the rest is History.........
Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Mar 17, 2008 - 4:04am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am
Frank and everyone else;
what is the item protuding from the stern of PT 315? Is this some sort of experimental gear?? I know they were experimenting with the ELCOPLANE (but this was with 557, 558, 559) and another system, is this the other one? Need a zoom on this one too Dick.
Thanks,
TED
Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Mar 19, 2008 - 2:05pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am
Hey Ted,
I saw that too. When I zoomed in on it, it appeared to me to be a small boat or float or something. Looks like a can of paint sitting on it (at least to me it does) so maybe they were doing some painting. Of course I could be wrong.
Charlie
Charlie
Posted By: 29navy | Posted on: Mar 19, 2008 - 3:17pm
Total Posts: 600 | Joined: Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm
Hey;
You will all get a laugh out of this, the new experimental propulsion system was a punt boat with a can of paint on it!!! LOL!!!!
At least I can laugh at myself. I really thought it was funny.
Take care Gents,
TED
Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Mar 19, 2008 - 6:37pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am
Ted
Didn't you know that it was a fancy weapon on the back of that boat. The object was to sneak in as close as possible, then WHAM!!! hit um with a can of paint, then row away as fast as possible drawing fire away from the PT BOAT, LOL..................
Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Mar 20, 2008 - 6:47am
Total Posts: 3497 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am
A POLE POWERED PT PROPULSION PRODUCT? GREAT FOR SILENT RUNNING, BUT WATCH OUT FOR THAT WAKE.
Steve Tuhy
Posted By: Steve Tuhy | Posted on: Mar 20, 2008 - 7:28am
Total Posts: 114 | Joined: Oct 17, 2006 - 5:41am
Frank and Steve;
Why did I not think of it before? This was actually an OPFOR piece of equiptment. for their ORE the boats would go out on patrol at dusk, with prepared courses and full OP plan. Then the OPFOR would row out after dark into Narragansett Bay. Using stealth and cunning the punt boat operators would try to row as close to your boat as they dare and trow the can of opened paint at your PT BOAT hull, this would simulate a limpet mine attack by enemy frogmen/commandoes. Since I was in the community for 12 years I should have recognized this early NAVSPECWAR craft........LOL!!!!
Cheers to all!
TED
Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Mar 20, 2008 - 2:43pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am
To me, it looks like they are painting the number on the stern as you can see the start of it and it looks like white paint.
Charlie
Charlie
Posted By: 29navy | Posted on: Mar 21, 2008 - 5:09am
Total Posts: 600 | Joined: Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm