Admin Table of Contents
Was the PT-109 ever found?
The wreckage of PT-109 was located in May 2002, at a depth of 1,200 feet (370 m), when a National Geographic Society expedition headed by Robert Ballard found a torpedo tube from wreckage matching the description and location of Kennedy’s vessel.
When did PT-109 sink?
August 1, 1943
On August 1, 1943, a Japanese destroyer rams an American PT (patrol torpedo) boat, No. 109, slicing it in two. The destruction is so massive other American PT boats in the area assume the crew is dead. Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt.
Who discovered PT-109?
Robert Ballard
Nearly 60 years ago a Japanese destroyer materialized out of a moonless night and smashed through PT-109, sending 26-year-old skipper John F. Kennedy into fiery waters to save his crew. Six weeks ago explorer Robert Ballard patrolled the same South Pacific beat, searching for the ruins of that seminal 1943 night.
Are any of the PT-109 crew still alive?
Gerard Zinser, the last surviving crewman from the sinking of John F. Kennedy’s PT 109 in the South Pacific in World War II, died on Aug. 21 at a hospital in Orange Park, Fla. Zinser, who lived in Orange Park, had Alzheimer’s disease, The Associated Press reported.
What happened to Kennedy’s coconut?
A Coconut shell with message from Lieutenant John F. Kennedy gave the coconut to two natives to deliver to PT base at Rendova so he and his crew would be rescued. His father later had the coconut shell encased in plastic on a wood base and President Kennedy used it as a paperweight on his desk in the Oval Office.
How long was JFK in the Navy?
| John F. Kennedy | |
|---|---|
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Motor Torpedo Squadron 2 Patrol Torpedo Boat 109 Patrol Torpedo Boat 59 |
How fast are PT boats?
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 happened to JFK’s coconut?
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”.
Was there a real PT 73?
The real PT-73 was a 78-foot Higgins boat assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13, which saw service in the Aleutians and in the Southwest Pacific theater. On 15 January, 1945 it ran aground, and was destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.
Did PT boats have radar?
Having radar gave Navy PTs a distinct advantage in intercepting enemy supply barges and ships at night. As more PTs were fitted with dependable radar, they developed superior night-fighting tactics and used them to locate and destroy many enemy targets.
Is it true that the PT 109 was found?
National Geographic did not want to disturb PT-109′ s remains, and without artifacts recovered from the site, the Navy could offer only conditional confirmation. Still, Wertheimer concluded, “Given all the evidence presented, it appears to be the PT-109.”
What was the name of the Japanese destroyer that sank the PT 109?
He told at least one contemporary that he had throttled up, with the muffler flaps closed (visible on the PT-109’s stern), which likely would have stalled the boat. Since the pitch-black night of 1-2 August 1943, when the Japanese destroyer Amagiri rammed and sank the PT-109, debate has flared over precisely what happened.
When did PT 109 go to Solomon Islands?
Six of the Elco boats, PTs 109 through 114, were then transferred to MTB Squadron TWO on 26 October 1942 and prepared for deployment to the Solomon Islands. The boats were loaded on cargo ships and sailed west, arriving at Sesapi, Tulagi harbor, Nggela Islands, at the end of November.
What did PT 109 do to the Tokyo Express?
Inky blackness like this could have a disorienting effect, even on experienced sailors. PT-109 stood at her station, one of fifteen PT boats (“Patrol Torpedo” boats) that had set out to engage, damage, and maybe even turn back the well-known “Tokyo Express.”