Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59
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Motor Torpedo Boat PT 59 was a PT boat that served with the US Navy in World War II. She is noted for firing a torpedo that ran straight and true — into a friendly supply ship, causing injuries, but no deaths.
She was later converted into a gunboat, with additional machine guns behind shields. They set up some of the shields for live fire tests, and found they could be reduced to swiss cheese at short range with light arms at a frontal angle. It would be the second command of John F. Kennedy who chose to stay and fight after losing the PT-109.
On October 28, 1943, in an incident which was portrayed as an action by PT-109 in the film PT 109, she helped evacuated several dozen wounded men from the Marine 1st Parachute Battalion from a sinking landing craft, after which she ran out of gas waiting for a two. She also engaged in a raid on Choiseul Island. One wounded officer died in Lt John F. Kennedy's bunk.
[edit] External links
| Parts of the story of John F. Kennedy's PT-109 |
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Air and water craft: PT-109 • PT-109 Loss Report • PT-59 • PT boat • Elco • Japanese destroyer Amagiri • Fubuki class destroyer • Tokyo Express • Nakajima A6M2-N People: John F. Kennedy • Arthur Reginald Evans • Coastwatchers • Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana • Andrew Jackson Kirksey and Harold W. Marney • Max Kennedy |
