The LuLac Edition #3567, August 2nd, 2017

PT-109 @ 74

John Kennedy on PT-109 (Photos: wikipedia)

It was 74 years ago today that PT 109 was sunk in the Pacific. It’s commander was John F. Kennedy. Back then, PT boats were used as quiet missiles to get the sea rid of Japanese destroyers. depth charges, omitted on most PTs, one on each side, were the same diameter as the torpedoes. These were designed to be used against submarines, but were sometimes used by PT commanders to confuse and discourage pursuing destroyers. Torpedoes stayed in the tube, half in and half out on a hot run,with its propellers spinning, it was deactivated.
Around 2 a.m. on 2 August 1943, on a moonless night, Kennedy's boat was idling on one engine to avoid detection of her wake by Japanese aircraft when the crew realized they were in the path of the Japanese destroyer Amagiri, which was returning to Rabaul from Vila, Kolombangara, after offloading supplies and 900 soldiers.  Amagiri was traveling at a relatively high speed of between 23 and 40 knots (43 and 74 km/h; 26 and 46 mph) in order to reach harbor by dawn, when Allied air patrols were likely to appear.
The crew had less than ten seconds to get the engines up to speed, and were run down by the destroyer between Kolombangara and Ghizo Island
PT-109 was cut in two. Seamen Andrew Jackson Kirksey and Harold W. Marney were killed, and two other members of the crew were badly injured. For such a catastrophic collision, explosion, and fire, it was a low loss rate compared to other boats that were hit by shell fire. PT-109 was gravely damaged, with watertight compartments keeping only the forward hull afloat in a sea of flames.
The eleven survivors clung to PT-109's bow section as it drifted slowly south. By about 2 p.m. it was apparent that the hull was taking on water and would soon sink, so the men decided to swim for land. As there were Japanese camps on all the nearby large islands, they chose the tiny deserted Plum Pudding Island, southwest of Kolombangara. They placed their lantern, shoes, and non-swimmers on one of the timbers that had been used as a gun mount and began kicking together to propel it. Kennedy, who had been on the Harvard University swim team, used a life jacket strap clenched between his teeth to tow his badly burned senior enlisted machinist mate, MM1 Patrick McMahon.  It took four hours to reach their destination, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away, which they reached without interference by sharks or crocodiles.
The island was only 100 yards (91 m) in diameter, with no food or water. The crew had to hide from passing Japanese barges. Kennedy swam to Naru and Olasana islands, a round trip of about 2.5 miles (4.0 km), in search of help and food. He then led his men to Olasana Island, which had coconut trees and drinkable water. Kennedy and his men survived for six days on coconuts before they were found by the scouts.
Legend has it that at the suggestion of a scout who found Kennedy, the officer scrawled this message on a coconut:
NAURO ISL
COMMANDER... NATIVE KNOWS POS'IT...
HE CAN PILOT... 11 ALIVE
NEED SMALL BOAT... KENNEDY
The message was delivered at great risk through 35 nmi (65 km; 40 mi) of hostile waters patrolled by the Japanese to the nearest Allied base at Rendova. Other coast watcher natives who were caught had been tortured and killed. Later, a canoe returned for Kennedy, taking him to the coast watcher to coordinate the rescue. PT-157, commanded by Lieutenant William Liebenow, was able to pick up the survivors.

THE CREW

(Photo: JFK Library)

John F. Kennedy, Lieutenant, junior grade (LTJG), Commanding Officer (Boston, Massachusetts).
Leonard J. Thom, Ensign (ENS), Executive Officer (Sandusky, Ohio).
George H. R. "Barney" Ross, Ensign (ENS) (Highland Park, Illinois). On board as an observer after losing his own boat. Attempted to operate the 37 mm gun but suffered from night blindness.
Raymond Albert, Seaman 2/c (Akron, Ohio). Killed in action 8 October 1943.
Charles A. "Bucky" Harris, Gunner's Mate 3/c (GM3) (Watertown, Massachusetts).
William Johnston, Motor Machinist's Mate 2/c (MM2) (Dorchester, Massachusetts).
Andrew Jackson Kirksey, Torpedoman's Mate 2/c (TM2) (Reynolds, Georgia). Killed in collision, listed as missing by National Geographic account.
John E. Maguire, Radioman 2/c (RM2) (Dobbs Ferry, New York).
Harold William Marney, Motor Machinist's Mate 2/c (MM2) (Springfield, Massachusetts). Killed in collision, manning turret closest to impact point.
Edman Edgar Mauer, Quartermaster 3/c (QM3) (St. Louis, Missouri).
Patrick H. "Pappy" McMahon, Motor Machinist's Mate 1/c (MM1) (Wyanet, Illinois). Only man in engine room during collision, was badly burned, but recovered from his wounds. Only member of the crew besides Kennedy mentioned by name in the song.
Ray L. Starkey, Torpedoman's Mate 2/c (TM2) (Garden Grove, California).
Gerard E. Zinser, Motor Machinist's Mate 1/c (MM1) (Belleville, Illinois). Erroneously called "Gerald" in many publications, Zinser remained in the Navy for a career following the end of World War II, eventually retiring as a chief petty officer. The last living survivor of PT-109, he died in Florida in 2001.
The mission of PT-109 was heralded in newspapers, magazines, a movie starring Cliff Robertson and a song by Jimmy Dean.