The destroyer, later identified as the Amagiri, struck PT 109 just forward of the forward starboard torpedo tube, ripping away the starboard aft side of the boat. The impact tossed Kennedy around the cockpit. Most of the crew were knocked into the water.
Has PT-109 been found?
Kennedy’s PT-109 rests some 1,200 feet (360 meters) underwater in the Solomon Islands. Key details from the torpedo and its nearby launching tube helped identify this wreck site as that of the World War II boat.
Are any PT-109 survivors still alive?
Zinser is the last man alive who was aboard Patrol Torpedo Boat No. 109 the night it was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific and cut in two. He joined other World War II veterans and relatives Monday in commemorating the 50th anniversary of that fateful night.
How true is the PT-109 movie?
Kennedy’s participation in the rescue of Marines from Choiseul actually happened but not with PT 109. That action actually involved PT 59 which was Kennedy’s first command after PT 109. The rescue occurred three months to the day after PT 109 was destroyed.
What happened to PT boat 109? – Related Questions
How many sailors died on PT-109?
Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt. John F. Kennedy.
Did JFK see PT-109?
After seeing the film, President Kennedy called PT 109 a “good product,” but he worried about the length of the film at 2 hours and 20 minutes. He said, “It’s just a question of whether there’s too much of it”.
Did a PT boat ever sink a ship?
PT-59 (more on her later) is credited with sinking Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) submarine I-3 on December 9, 1942 near Guadalcanal. PT-37 and PT-40 sank destroyer IJN Teruzuki on the night of 11–12 December, barely three months after the Japanese had put her into service.
Is it possible to buy a PT boat?
Hammacher Schlemmer’s catalog is subtitled: “Offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected for 164 years.” One item for sale certainly qualifies as “unique.” They currently list for sale the World War II PT-728, the only PT boat in existence licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard for carrying passengers.
Who served on PT-109?
Kennedy and crewmen of the PT-109. Back Row (L-R) Allan Webb, Leon Drawdy, Edgar Mauer, Edmund Drewitch, John Maguire, Lt. (jg) John F. Kennedy (standing, far right).
Did PT boats have toilets?
There is a comfortable, open air, relatively private, small space between the torpedo and the depth charges located on either side of the boat at the rear of the boat that is used as the bathroom.
What was the fastest boat in ww2?
E-boat
| Class overview |
| Installed power |
3,960 brake horsepower (2,950 kW) |
| Propulsion |
3 × Daimler Benz MB 501 marine diesel engines |
| Speed |
43.8 knots (81.1 km/h; 50.4 mph) |
| Range |
800 nmi (1,500 km; 920 mi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
How many PT boats still exist?
Today there are just two fully restored and operational Patrol Torpedo boats, or PT boats, left in the world, and only one of them saw service in World War II.
How fast will a PT boat go?
Wooden-hulled, 80 feet long with a 20-foot, 8-inch beam, the Elco PT boats had three 12-cylinder Packard gasoline engines generating a total of 4,500 horsepower for a designed speed of 41 knots.
What replaced PT boats?
Nicknamed “the mosquito fleet” and “devil boats” by the Japanese, the PT boat squadrons were hailed for their daring and earned a durable place in the public imagination that remains strong into the 21st century. Their role was replaced in the U.S. Navy by fast attack craft.
What does PT mean in PT boat?
Introduction. PT (Patrol, Torpedo) boats were small, fast, and expendable vessels for short range oceanic scouting, armed with torpedoes and machine guns for cutting enemy supply lines and harassing enemy forces. Forty-three PT squadrons, each with 12 boats were formed during World War II by the U.S. Navy.
Does the U.S. Navy still use PT boats?
NAVSEA: A total of 56 [40-foot Patrol] boats have been awarded to Metal Shark Boats and as of 9 May 2022, 20 boats have been delivered to the U.S. Navy.
Are there any Elco PT boats left?
Motor torpedo boat PT-617, also known as Dragon Lady, “is the sole surviving 80′ Elco type PT boat on display and represents the United States’s most heavily used, highly favored, and combat-tested PT boat type in World War II.” PT-617 is a PT-103-class Elco motor torpedo boat of the same type as the famous PT-109
Where is the PT 73 boat today?
Shots of the crew aboard the PT-73 were filmed on a full-scale mock-up in a soundstage. “PT-73” was later sold to the mayor of Hawthorne, California, and was converted to a sport fishing boat. It was later destroyed when it broke loose of its mooring near Santa Barbara and washed up on the beach during a storm.
How much does a PT boat cost?
Mark VI patrol boat
| Class overview |
| Operators |
United States Navy Ukrainian Navy (Deliveries expected in 2022) |
| Preceded by |
Riverine Command Boat |
| Cost |
US$15 million per ship |
| Built |
2015–2017 |
Are PT boats made of wood?
One of the most notable types of wooden crafts was the PT or Motor Torpedo Boat. This small, fast craft would race at the enemy to launch torpedoes before making a hasty retreat.