@@hunterroberts9951No, the 107. The 109 was under the command of LT jg John F. Kennedy, XO was Ensign Leonard Thom. PT-107 was lost during an attack on Rendova.
Robert Montgomery got top billing in They Were Expendable. In the movie he was the squadron commander and Wayne was his Exec. It's really a co-lead because Wayne is so.... well.... so John Wayne. Montgomery was a bigger star than John Wayne in the prewar years and at the time of the making of TWE. Wayne's breakthrough was "Stagecoach" in 39. Montgomery had been around for years going back to the 20's. He was an A movie leading man even before the war. He had 2 Oscar nominations for Best Actor before TWE. The first was for "Night Must Fall" - 1937 opposite Rosalind Russell in which he played a psychopathic killer - one of the few nominations for an actor playing a truly evil character. He was cast against type. Previously he had played upper class playboy types in romantic comedies. His second Best Actor nomination was for the lead in "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" released in 41. That one was remade in 78 as "Heaven Can Wait" with Warren Beatty - same basic story. Montgomery also directed parts of TWE when John Ford was ill. Part of what makes that movie what it is is that Montgomery had, to some degree, lived the life of the person he was portraying in the movie. Montgomery has an amazing bio. Actually it's MORE interesting than John Waynes if you ask me. When WWII broke out in 39 Montgomery in London enlisted in the American Field Service and drove ambulances on the Western front until the Dunkirk evacuation. He returned to Hollywood and played in "Here Comes...". When America entered the war he joined the Navy and rose to rank of Lt. Commander. He commanded PT. 107 and became Ex Commander of PT Squadron 5 operating out the base at Rendova in the Central Solomons. He might have been he instead of Ronald Reagan who became 40th President had events been different. He served as President of the Screen Actors Guild before Reagan did. He gave friendly testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was active in Republican politics. The served in a voluntary capacity in the Eisenhower administration as an advisor on TV matters. And he was Elizabeth Montgomery's dad.
He unfortunately died of cancer as dud his son and daughter. I have the movie on DVD and wore it out and purchased a new one. This video gave me a very good understanding of what the movie was based on.
I've been a fan of PTs since I was eight years old and saw the movie "PT-109" when it premiered in theaters in the summer of 1963. Adding to that, my wife's late uncle was a gunner's mate on PTs in the Solomon campaign during WWII. "They Were Expendable" remains my favorite WWII movie and is based on the book of the same name. The author had spent an evening interviewing survivors of Squadron 3, though some embellishment was obvious for wartime morale purposes. As films go, it remains a timeless classic, even if the boats used in it were later 80 foot Elcos rather than the earlier 77 foot versions. Thanks for giving us a detailed explanation of the fate of each boat. I wish we could learn what became of the crew members who were wounded and captured. The war was still on when the movie was released in 1945, so it could only hint at something very dark. Lastly, where did you find the music from the movie?
@@LesSharp I consider the movie one of John Ford's masterpieces and I love the soundtrack. I believe there is a background story to the film that would make an interesting documentary in itself. I have read that Ford hired musicians to play the haunting love melody during rehearsals in order to put the actors in the right mood. I've also read there was a lot on tension between Ford and Wayne during filming which was a result of Ford's anger with the Duke at refusing to serve during the war as he and Robert Montgomery had done. Both men had seen combat, but Montgomery held no grudge. In fact, it was he who finally put a stop to Ford's vindictiveness after the latter had brought the Duke to tears during his many attempts to humiliate him on set. Whatever the reason, Pappy relented and his friendship with Wayne survived.
My Moms Older Brother join the Marines in 1938. Didn’t come home till after Bougainville. He spend 8 months in hospital before he was assigned to wallops island as part of the security force.
Interesting. My Dad celebrated his 20th year in the marine corps in 1941. He was at gulags, tarawa, and Saipan. He meet my mom in New Zealand prior to tarawa. I was born in 53 so pretty lucky to be here. I miss them both. Both hero’s.
John Ford the director, was responsible for making the movie, " The Were Expendable. " Ford became a Naval Officer in WW2. He was very popular in political circles. He was a great friend of John Wayne.
They say they were made of plywood because they were actually made of strips, or plys of wood running in different directions and in several different layers. Technically a mosquito airplane was made of plywood also but the plywood was different layers of wood bonded together over a mold and framework, kind of like a PT boat.
Yes. In both cases they are a laminated construction, but while all plywood is a laminated construction, the opposite is not true. I can't imagine how many 4x8' sheets of 3/4" marine plywood you'd need to build a boat this tough, and how little room would be left inside!
I saw “They Were Expendable” back in the ‘40s, probably not long after it came out, and have read many accounts of McAuthur's escape but never have known the fate of the boats other than some were sunk. You also included some other details, such as the construction change in the boats that I was not aware of, and more. Thanks for the informative video.
Lt. John D. Buckeley Earned the Medal of Honor French Croix de Guerre Navy Cross Army Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaves Legion of Merit Two Silver Stars Two Purple Heats Philappine Silver star
Submariners did not use Mark 8 torpedoes. The PT boats did. Subs used Mark 14 and some older versions. The older ones, either a Mk9 or a Mk10, were still 21 inch diameter so the PT boats could use them, but not the other way around. The Mk8 was a torpedo developed for use in surface ships during WW1 such as old battleships and destroyers. Submarines were equipped with the following torpedo marks during WW2: Mk9, Mk10, Mk14 (steam), Mk18 ( which was battery powered and was a copy of a captured German G4E torpedo supplied by the Brits). Of these, in early 1942 when the action for RON3 was occurring, the subs only had a limited amount of the new Mk14 and perhaps more of the older Mk9 and Mk10. So the PT boats very likely obtained Mk10s from the sub, since the subs saved the few modern Mk14 they had for emergency. (besides, the Mk14 was too long to fit into PT boat tubes). AFAIK, there were not any Mk13 torpedoes used by the PT boats in the early days of 1942, since they are larger in diameter (22.5"?) and would not fit inside the 77ft Elco PT boats 21 inch diameter torpedo tubes.
Thanks very much for the clarification! I know they started out with the Mk8, and I know they later got the Mk13. I just didn't have any info on when! Thanks for sharing!
It was a captured German G7e, which I tell from your excellent knowledge, was a simple typo. 🙂 Question: didn't they use 18" aircraft torpedos later in the war, analogue to what the British did on their late-war Vosper boats ?
@@ottovonbismarck2443 Thanks Otto yes I meant G7e. In my research I have never come across US PT Boats using 18 inch torpedoes. The old tubes were 21 inch diameter and the racks were for the Mk13 which was 22.5 inch diameter. BTW the Mk13 is primarily an aerial torpedo. It may have been technically possible to mount 18 inch torps in the racks but I have never seen nor heard of it actually occurring.
I had an Aunt who was a dietician who worked in a service hospital during the war. Way later, when as a kid, I told her it would've been one of my top choices....she shook her head then told me the stories of how the crews on the MTBs raiding across the Channel and the North Sea literally had their guts churned into chowder by being hammered by the hours of the staccato chop of the sea.
The only times PT boats were able to make 40-50 knots were when they were brand new and not loaded with weapons. Normally the boats had to have their hulls scraped free of barnacles on a regular basis. Otherwise they were barely able to outrun Japanese destroyers.
Yeah, he said he couldn't get up on his skis with a full load-out aboard, and the 1st mate complained there wasn't enough room on the foredeck for all the girls to sunbathe. War is hell eh.
You should do a video about the Australian "Z" Special Force operations to sink Japanese shipping in Singapore There is a really good movie about it, from memory I think it's called "Heroes"
Good idea, Z Special Force also has a connection to PT boats. They helped evac JFK and his crew out of danger after they were sunk in action. It would be a great yarn.
@@geoffheard5768 Z Special Force did many things they had their own small fleet including the captured Japanese fishing boat the "MV Krait" and a Chinese Junk and other small vessels I think they were mostly named after snakes The Krait was used on their mission to Singapore Harbour it droped members of Z Force on an island near the Harbour and using kayaks they successfully attack Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour and returned In ways it's comparable to Doolittle's raid where they took the fight deep into Japanese occupied territory The Krait itself is an interesting story it was Japanese and impounded in Singapore or Malaya and was commandeered by this local super hero and used it on numerous evacuation runs in and out of Singapore like a one boat Dunkirk before sailing to Australia and still exists The fella the super hero was lost on a pointless one man clandestine operation I haven't watch the old film PT-109 for years and couldn't remember the connection to Z Force but I wouldn't be surprised I first saw the movie in the mid 60's at the drive-in with my father a WWII veteran who more than likely couldn't have survived himself without Z
When I was at Surface Warfare Officer school in Newport RI I saw Admiral Bulkeley at a restaurant about 1984. He was well past normal retirement age and was head of INSERV.
Yep, he was also known to go aboard a ship due for an INSURV dressed as a shipyard worker to get a look around prior to the actual inspection. I know this for a fact because it was in 1984-85, that I spotted him among a group of yard workers checking aboard at the quarterdeck of the Fast Frigate I served in. The Admiral saw that I recognized him, he gave me a conspiratorial grin and a wink, I didn’t dime him out. 😏 Ship passed the INSURV and I was left with a fond memory and a sea story.
All for the best of the service in general. Nothing I hate more than a show being put on to fool the higher-ups. It always comes back to bite you in the end.
in the book more hardships were described. poor baby macarthur was seasick the whole way. i will never forgive him for running down American WW1 veterans of the Bonus Expeditionary Force with sabres drawn. all they wanted was their due. one fairly unsung hero of the south Pacific was, of course, The French Chef, Julia Child. she was secret keeper of all movement in the South Pacific, being the assistant to Colonel Donavan, who headed up the OSS. she would later carry public television on her back (and wallet) for years. Thank You Julia.
MacArthur disobeyed a direct order from his commander, President Hoover, not to cross the bridge over the Anacostia. Under Mac was eager beaver George Patton, to lead the charge against veterans and their families in the encampment.
Yes, Bulkley's book is well worth a read. As you say, lots of hardships that are barely touched upon in a 2:15 movie, so way too much for TH-cam's attention span.
@@LesSharp Montgomery commanded PT-107 in Europe, during D-Day for sure, and, I believe during Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, later that summer. Montgomery suffered a number of 'episodes' during the filming of this movie, flashing back to his actual wartime experiences since they had been so recent. Director John Ford never said an unkind word to Montgomery and delayed filming a number of instances at significant expense to allow for the war hero's trauma and recovery. When John Wayne said something at one time about the delays Ford gave a stern rebuke in front of the film crew to Wayne, his life long friend, commenting that the 'movie' war hero had never served in combat and therefore couldn't understand. (Wayne received a waiver because he had four children below the age of five when the war started.) Ford held a temporary commission in the Navy for filming purposes and was at Midway Island on June 4, 1942 during the Japanese aerial attack, pretty much exactly like his efforts were portrayed in the recent movie, Midway.
@@TedVinz7 I did not know Ford was on Midway. The actual footage I've seen for many years of the ground attacks and return fire always looked professionally done, but I thought it was USN combat cameramen. Thanks for that..
They were a failure at what they were designed to do. They were they were initially feared by the Japanese because they thought they could launch real torpedoes like the ones they had. They were fast in calm water but a destroyer could run them down in rough seas. They ended up being utility boats and the place where they proved strategically important, after ditching the torpedoes and going with larger caliber guns and radar, was as armored barge busters at night when the Japanese resupply barges moved. "The efficiency of the PT boats at sinking the Japanese supply barges was considered a key reason that the Japanese had severe food, ammunition, and replacement problems during the New Guinea and Solomon Island campaigns, and made the PT boats prime targets for enemy aircraft." Reporting that would be a good movie as those armored barges knew how to shoot back.
What a great video. My father bought 1st editions of "TWE" and "Am Guer in the PHIL" and they were among the first books I read. He's gone (died @ 97yo.), I have them now in my WW2 collections. Have the movie on vhs & dvd. Your video really means a lot to me. Thanks. P.S. I just reviewed your content. Subbed and Liked. Thanks again.
I found this very interesting and am a fan of the TWE movie. I had an uncle who ran a PT like boat out of New Guinea picking up downed aircrew for the US. He was a Sargent (I don't know what rank) in the Army. His younger brother was a merchant sailor in the North Atlantic and I think on the Murmansk run although I'm not positive about that. Of course all of these folks are gone now and I have kicked my rear for not talking to them at length and even worse not knowing what to ask. It took me many years to realize how much incredible history I was around and missed finding out about. Please keep up the good work. We need more than ever to remember freedom ain't free. Thanks!
The PT boats were flashy… but pretty much useless. During the battle of Surigao Straits, 39 PT Boats ambushed part of the Japanese fleet. NOT A SINGLE TORPEDO HIT despite dozens of torpedoes fired.
The gallant bravery displayed by the crews of those PT Boats led by LTJG's and Ensigns , they were fearless and had balls of steel on those Mahogany Boats ! They carried on board four Mark 8 torpedoes to kill ships ( cruisers , destroyers , etc. ) and the element of speed to get them out of harms way. Futhermore, thanks to the three Packard V12 engines the PT Boats could acheive well over 40 knots in an escape dash. Defensive protection from Japanese air attacks was provided by the following , a Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and if lucky they would rig up a Bofors 40 mm or a Olds 37 mm cannon on the stern and two twin fifties mounted on a swivel ring in nothing more than something that resembled a partially cutout oil drums on each side of the boat. One slightly fore and one slightly aft. And yes , they were expendable !! Some may call it suicide missions 😢 Respect to all Motor Torpedo Squadrons that fought in the Pacific. 🇺🇸👍
Absolutely criminal with the torpedo situation vs. the heroics - wasted heroics - these crews were performing. Why are officers and politicians never sent to jail over such bullshit?
@@LesSharp At the same time, the successes came as a small percentage of the attempts that, had the torpedoes even been marginally acceptable, would have at least warranted PT crews going in on certain death attacks.
One of the best improvement to the boats, was when the torpedo tubes were replaced by the same depth charge launching system on destroyers. It lightened the boat and eliminated the flash that came with the tubes. Of course, the boat captains and helmsmen had to practice the art of turning the opposite away from the torpedo track during the initial launch
Yes indeed, the flashes were a dead giveaway to the enemy. I think in both cases, the skipper had to point the torpedo at the target point, not the boat, and yes, he would want to keep turning away from the torpedo after firing it, for obvious reasons.
Nielsen Beaumont Marine Inc on Shelter Island San Diego rebuilt two recover boats the same same as the PT boats designed to recover downed pilots The boats where turned in to yachts the two boats where builts at the end of WW II never saw combat
Thanks for all the details. TWE is my all time movie, I just got the blu ray version and they did right. Your right the fact that they didn't sink the cruiser takes nothing away from the film, but serves to prove there bravery even further. I think that's one of the most important times of the war. They knew they were there to hold and buy time for as long as they could, knowing that most likely they'd never see home again. I don't like remakes but here's a movie that just begs to be redone with the Facts. Thanks again look forward to more.
My girlfriend bought a shoebox of odds & ends for $20.00 at a yard sale. Inside was a PT Boat Pin and Army Air Force wings. I insisted on going back to see if more WW II items were available. She couldn't remember how to find the house !!
the John Wayne movie call They Were Expendable also starred Robert Montgomery. many people do not know that Robert Montgomery actually served during the war on a PT boat as a commander. if you ever see the movie while Montgomery is on the boat, you can see how connected he is with that boat because he actually ran one! tomorrow is June 6th D-Day. all day long they will be showing movies of the greatest Generation that ever went to war. God bless my father and all my uncles and all of the brave men and women that sacrifice during World War II!❤
Yes, I am sure the scenes where he's at the helm and the background is live action do indeed feature him driving the boat. I doubt the studio would have found anyone with more experience at the helm, and insurance wasn't such a big issue in those days.
I absolutely love P.T. Boats, as well as submarines, and destroyers, and naval maritime history is my favorite! It's nice to know what happened to these glorius boats and their crews! Thanks
In the movie "They Were Expendable", they used Elco 80 footers. The boat that is burning in the waves is obviously a mock-up of a Elco 77 footer. The crewman is carrying a poll mast which is from a 77 footer. The 80 footers had a triangular mast. I guess the production crew made a mock up of the right type of boat for this scene, but it was not consistent with the rest of the movie.
Very observant of you! This is what I call my history content, since I try to produce content where I can show you the locations as they are now. Thanks for watching to the end!
@@LesSharp I got cold eggs every morning while visiting a friend and thought how a Wermacht soldier on the eastern front would give his left nut for cold eggs.
I remember back in the 60s a converted PT boat was used as a tour boat on Bass lake in central California. You hear the roar of those massive engines. I do not know the fate of it.
The Kuma was a light cruiser of the Kuma-class. As I recall, the cruiser depicted in the equivalent segment of the movie was a Mogami-class heavy cruiser. Quite a difference!
Considering all the random Allied tanks painted up as Tigers in Hollywood movies, I think they did quite well to actually have a Mogami, if that's what it was!
Awesome men and women. We have fun watching the movie... Seems a common way to ask for information in those days was to say ...any dope? Where's the dope. Not sure I'd use that slang now. Or When the new officer inspects for sanitation and spits out the "soup" dishwater. You might know any farm or industry owners thought to have helped the Americans were treated VERY badly by the Japanese version of army police.. As usual many more civilians died or were murdered by the ultra sadistic Japanese officer corp. Than all countries troops combined. Many atrocities going unreported due to no survivors. But it seems they Got as bad as they gave...plus interest..
@@robertpayne2717 MacArthur. look up the Bonus Expeditionary Force, when WW1 soldiers and their families camped in washington asking for money owed to them. a young general Douglas MacArthur and major Eisenhower along with major Patton led Army troops against the veterans and their families with fixed bayonets, tanks and tear gas. MacArthur ignored orders from president Hoover and drove the B.E.F. onto the Anacosta flats and torched their shanty town, inhabited by 10,000 people. hospitals in Washington were overwhelmed that night.
I enjoyed the movie and of course John Wayne who was very pro military and always enjoyed making movies about all branches of the US Military. Thanks for your video and giving us the rest of the story about these brave sailors and their heroic deeds. You can never depend on Follywood, specially today, to portray our military accurately and with respect.
In another few months, the movie "Devotion" (based on the Adam Makos book) will finally be released. I'm praying that Follywood as you so aptly put it, will not turn it into a woke diatribe and insert all sorts of Leftist messages. Well, one can hope, right?
Excellent video. I especially liked the use of satellite images, and the "on this location" video. There are a ton of places in the Philippines that would be interesting to do a "Then vs. Now" comparison.
This is a history of great heroism. Under difficult circumstances, these seamen did the best thing that they could, to create the maximum damage that they can, by using their under "par" weapon on their enemies, suffering defeat and loss, and move on to another chapter of the battle. These are the story of some of the greatest heroes of World War Two
LETS NOT FORGET.....THERE WHERE THREE MOSQUITOBOAT SQADRON BOATBUILDERS IN AMERICA.....ELCO...HIGGINS...AND HUCKIMS....IVE BEEN LUCK TO WORK ON MANY WOODEN BOATS... AMONG THEM BOATS FROM ALL THREE...HIGGINS ALSO BUILT HIGGINS BOATS....LANDING CRAFT..
I've watched "They Were Expendable" so many times, I've lost count and can just about recite the script. This is a very good follow up to the movie. Well done!
A B-17 USAAF Crew flew from Australia to pick up Gen. MacArthur and evacuate him landed in the Philippines after a long and dangerous flight. MacArthur ever the Prima Donna refused as the pilot’s rank wasn’t at least a full Col. and refused. MacArthur waited 10 hours after Pearl Harbor and did nothing more concerned about what the Philippine President would think rather than bomb the Japanese on Formosa (Taiwan) which the Japanese forces delayed by bad weather could have severely damaged. Instead the opposite. The General was a great planner and organizer but an obstinate asshole who illegally accepted a great deal of money from the Government of the Philippines, which his subordinates following regulations refused. The amount was discovered until after his death., $ 1/2. Million USD 1942 dollars. President Truman committed political suicide to recall and fire the general in Korea when as President and Commander in Chief he did so over the General’s insubordination.
First book I ever read that didnt have pictures and one of my favorite movies.Bulkley was CO Guantanomo Bay when My ship did a refresher training stint there. I never saw him though. Woe betide the Boat officer that rocked his saiboat moored near the fleet landing. My dad saw them filming the movie in the Miami River when he was attached to PC 608 during the war.
WE HAD A 63 FT. A.V.R.,,,V DRIVE BACK IN THE 70'S...DURING THE WAR SHE HAD 2 HALL/SCOTT DEFENDER V-12'S,,,42 KNOTS...I WAS 15YEARS OLD AND STOPPING A FUEL LEAK ON THE STARBOARD ENGINE... THE BOAT WAS SO WELL BUILT,,,IT TWISTED LIKE A RUBBER BAND IN OVER 20 FT. SEAS..THANK YOU MIAMI SHIP BUILDING 1941...S.S.S. CHASER...
Thanks! I wanted to know about what actually happened to the PT boats and their men in the Philippines, for half a century. Beer, beer, beer, milk, milk...
That movie scene of MacArthur wearing a heavy coat in the Philippines is silly. No one who has been to the PI would ever think you need a coat no matter what time of year.
The Mark 8 torpedo was never used in submarines therefore how would the submariners have been able to tell them of the difficulties with it. In the years leading up to the war the submarines use the Mark 10 and then the mark 14
Correct. The MK8 was designed to be dropped from aircraft, but it had the same propulsion system, warhead and fuses as the Mk9 the submarine crews were using. They were not keeping quiet about the problems with that.
But what happened to the crews after the boats were lost? How many came home? You know Bulkley went on to supervise the PT core and help in the D Day invasion and received the MoH. What of the others?
Not far from the Greenville exit of I 79 in PA, there is a weapons development, test , manufacturing, storage area. 20 years ago the storage bunkers, shells of the plants still remained. Also on a little lake was a building used to test torpedoes. Does anyone know the history of this facility?
I have look through the comments and I haven't noticed any reference to JF Kennedy a decorated captain of a PT boat. If I missed it somewhere I apologize. I believe he had another important job later in life but what would a Canadian know about that. (Canadian sense of humor.)
Thank You for taking the time to research all this and put the truth out there. I had heard a little of this and that in several books, but you put it all together for me. Great Job.
You need to update Admiral Bulkeley's list of career decorations in your remarks. Admiral Bulkeley was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership of MTB Squadron 3 from December 7, 1941, until April 10, 1942. That period of time encompassed a number of successful combat operations against the Japanese and also included the evacuation of General MacArthur from the Philippines.
My opening statement is "Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, six boats commanded by Lt. John D. Bulkeley, had arrived in Manila Bay on September 28, 1941". This simply states that six boats of MTB Ron Three arrived at Cavite from Pearl Harbor on that date, months before the attack. Pearl Harbor of course existed before the IJN attacked it ;) I'll be going into the reasoning behind that deployment, and the creation of the PT boat itself, in another video.
My grandfather was a commander in this squadron, and it was his boats that were used in this movie.
I love they fought their Boats, doing their duty and fought till the end. That was what an American was back then, and that was America.
Well said one of the best movies I watch it often
Duke Montgomery Bond
Donna Reed they don't make em like that anymore
Robert Montgomery, co-star in the film, was in the Navy during the war. He was also the CO of PT-107!
PT 109.
@@hunterroberts9951
No, PT-109 was John F Kennedy's boat.
@@hunterroberts9951No, the 107. The 109 was under the command of LT jg John F. Kennedy, XO was Ensign Leonard Thom. PT-107 was lost during an attack on Rendova.
Robert Montgomery got top billing in They Were Expendable. In the movie he was the squadron commander and Wayne was his Exec. It's really a co-lead because Wayne is so.... well.... so John Wayne. Montgomery was a bigger star than John Wayne in the prewar years and at the time of the making of TWE. Wayne's breakthrough was "Stagecoach" in 39. Montgomery had been around for years going back to the 20's. He was an A movie leading man even before the war. He had 2 Oscar nominations for Best Actor before TWE. The first was for "Night Must Fall" - 1937 opposite Rosalind Russell in which he played a psychopathic killer - one of the few nominations for an actor playing a truly evil character. He was cast against type. Previously he had played upper class playboy types in romantic comedies. His second Best Actor nomination was for the lead in "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" released in 41. That one was remade in 78 as "Heaven Can Wait" with Warren Beatty - same basic story. Montgomery also directed parts of TWE when John Ford was ill. Part of what makes that movie what it is is that Montgomery had, to some degree, lived the life of the person he was portraying in the movie.
Montgomery has an amazing bio. Actually it's MORE interesting than John Waynes if you ask me. When WWII broke out in 39 Montgomery in London enlisted in the American Field Service and drove ambulances on the Western front until the Dunkirk evacuation. He returned to Hollywood and played in "Here Comes...". When America entered the war he joined the Navy and rose to rank of Lt. Commander. He commanded PT. 107 and became Ex Commander of PT Squadron 5 operating out the base at Rendova in the Central Solomons.
He might have been he instead of Ronald Reagan who became 40th President had events been different. He served as President of the Screen Actors Guild before Reagan did. He gave friendly testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was active in Republican politics. The served in a voluntary capacity in the Eisenhower administration as an advisor on TV matters.
And he was Elizabeth Montgomery's dad.
He unfortunately died of cancer as dud his son and daughter. I have the movie on DVD and wore it out and purchased a new one. This video gave me a very good understanding of what the movie was based on.
The bravery of these crews cannot be surpassed.
indeed.
I've been a fan of PTs since I was eight years old and saw the movie "PT-109" when it premiered in theaters in the summer of 1963. Adding to that, my wife's late uncle was a gunner's mate on PTs in the Solomon campaign during WWII. "They Were Expendable" remains my favorite WWII movie and is based on the book of the same name. The author had spent an evening interviewing survivors of Squadron 3, though some embellishment was obvious for wartime morale purposes. As films go, it remains a timeless classic, even if the boats used in it were later 80 foot Elcos rather than the earlier 77 foot versions. Thanks for giving us a detailed explanation of the fate of each boat. I wish we could learn what became of the crew members who were wounded and captured. The war was still on when the movie was released in 1945, so it could only hint at something very dark. Lastly, where did you find the music from the movie?
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m looking into a follow-up on the crews. Not simple. The soundtrack isn’t available on it’s own I’m afraid.
@@LesSharp I consider the movie one of John Ford's masterpieces and I love the soundtrack. I believe there is a background story to the film that would make an interesting documentary in itself. I have read that Ford hired musicians to play the haunting love melody during rehearsals in order to put the actors in the right mood. I've also read there was a lot on tension between Ford and Wayne during filming which was a result of Ford's anger with the Duke at refusing to serve during the war as he and Robert Montgomery had done. Both men had seen combat, but Montgomery held no grudge. In fact, it was he who finally put a stop to Ford's vindictiveness after the latter had brought the Duke to tears during his many attempts to humiliate him on set. Whatever the reason, Pappy relented and his friendship with Wayne survived.
😊😊
😊U
I actually have "THE" book.
One of my favorite movies. My dad joined the Marines the day after Pearl Harbor. He was in the Pacific Theater.
Your dad is a Hero
My Moms Older Brother join the Marines in 1938. Didn’t come home till after Bougainville. He spend 8 months in hospital before he was assigned to wallops island as part of the security force.
@@thedolphinDog agreed
@@edl617 your uncle is a hero
Interesting. My Dad celebrated his 20th year in the marine corps in 1941. He was at gulags, tarawa, and Saipan. He meet my mom in New Zealand prior to tarawa. I was born in 53 so pretty lucky to be here. I miss them both. Both hero’s.
John Ford the director, was responsible for making the movie, " The Were Expendable. " Ford became a Naval Officer in WW2. He was very popular in political circles. He was a great friend of John Wayne.
Ford also filmed the Japanese attack on Midway and was wounded there.
They say they were made of plywood because they were actually made of strips, or plys of wood running in different directions and in several different layers. Technically a mosquito airplane was made of plywood also but the plywood was different layers of wood bonded together over a mold and framework, kind of like a PT boat.
Yes. In both cases they are a laminated construction, but while all plywood is a laminated construction, the opposite is not true. I can't imagine how many 4x8' sheets of 3/4" marine plywood you'd need to build a boat this tough, and how little room would be left inside!
I saw “They Were Expendable” back in the ‘40s, probably not long after it came out, and have read many accounts of McAuthur's escape but never have known the fate of the boats other than some were sunk. You also included some other details, such as the construction change in the boats that I was not aware of, and more. Thanks for the informative video.
Lt. John D. Buckeley
Earned the
Medal of Honor
French Croix de Guerre
Navy Cross
Army Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaves
Legion of Merit
Two Silver Stars
Two Purple Heats
Philappine Silver star
Excellent Les. Clearly the mechanics are the heroes in this one. I love the story of defending the lake with a patrol boat.
No doubt. I'm going over the Packard manuals now and it's a ton of work to keep them running right, IF you have the correct fluids and service parts.
Submariners did not use Mark 8 torpedoes. The PT boats did. Subs used Mark 14 and some older versions. The older ones, either a Mk9 or a Mk10, were still 21 inch diameter so the PT boats could use them, but not the other way around. The Mk8 was a torpedo developed for use in surface ships during WW1 such as old battleships and destroyers. Submarines were equipped with the following torpedo marks during WW2: Mk9, Mk10, Mk14 (steam), Mk18 ( which was battery powered and was a copy of a captured German G4E torpedo supplied by the Brits). Of these, in early 1942 when the action for RON3 was occurring, the subs only had a limited amount of the new Mk14 and perhaps more of the older Mk9 and Mk10. So the PT boats very likely obtained Mk10s from the sub, since the subs saved the few modern Mk14 they had for emergency. (besides, the Mk14 was too long to fit into PT boat tubes). AFAIK, there were not any Mk13 torpedoes used by the PT boats in the early days of 1942, since they are larger in diameter (22.5"?) and would not fit inside the 77ft Elco PT boats 21 inch diameter torpedo tubes.
Thanks very much for the clarification! I know they started out with the Mk8, and I know they later got the Mk13. I just didn't have any info on when! Thanks for sharing!
It was a captured German G7e, which I tell from your excellent knowledge, was a simple typo. 🙂
Question: didn't they use 18" aircraft torpedos later in the war, analogue to what the British did on their late-war Vosper boats ?
@@ottovonbismarck2443 Thanks Otto yes I meant G7e. In my research I have never come across US PT Boats using 18 inch torpedoes. The old tubes were 21 inch diameter and the racks were for the Mk13 which was 22.5 inch diameter. BTW the Mk13 is primarily an aerial torpedo. It may have been technically possible to mount 18 inch torps in the racks but I have never seen nor heard of it actually occurring.
@@allaboutboats The idea may have started from the Vosper boats built for lend-lease that were fitted with the 18" torpedo.
@@BOORAGG Yes that makes sense.
Unfortunately they were supplied with defective torpedoes like the submarines
What a marvellous story. Although Death could come at any moment, it must have been exciting to be a Crew Member.
I’m sure it was one fire in the paint locker after another ;)
I had an Aunt who was a dietician who worked in a service hospital during the war.
Way later, when as a kid, I told her it would've been one of my top choices....she shook her head then told me the stories of how the crews on the MTBs raiding across the Channel and the North Sea literally had their guts churned into chowder by being hammered by the hours of the staccato chop of the sea.
My father was a PT boater, on 298 He said it was a somber day when they stripped and burned the hulls after VJ day.
Incredible boats, crewed by a bunch of tough bastards. Keeping those engines alive in those conditions must have been hell.
The only times PT boats were able to make 40-50 knots were when they were brand new and not loaded with weapons. Normally the boats had to have their hulls scraped free of barnacles on a regular basis. Otherwise they were barely able to outrun Japanese destroyers.
McHale agrees.
Yeah, he said he couldn't get up on his skis with a full load-out aboard, and the 1st mate complained there wasn't enough room on the foredeck for all the girls to sunbathe. War is hell eh.
You should do a video about the Australian "Z" Special Force operations to sink Japanese shipping in Singapore
There is a really good movie about it, from memory I think it's called "Heroes"
I will check that out! Thanks for the tip!
@@LesSharp There is a book written about this.
Good idea, Z Special Force also has a connection to PT boats. They helped evac JFK and his crew out of danger after they were sunk in action. It would be a great yarn.
@@geoffheard5768
Z Special Force did many things they had their own small fleet including the captured Japanese fishing boat the "MV Krait" and a Chinese Junk and other small vessels I think they were mostly named after snakes The Krait was used on their mission to Singapore Harbour it droped members of Z Force on an island near the Harbour and using kayaks they successfully attack Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour and returned
In ways it's comparable to Doolittle's raid where they took the fight deep into Japanese occupied territory
The Krait itself is an interesting story it was Japanese and impounded in Singapore or Malaya and was commandeered by this local super hero and used it on numerous evacuation runs in and out of Singapore like a one boat Dunkirk before sailing to Australia and still exists
The fella the super hero was lost on a pointless one man clandestine operation
I haven't watch the old film PT-109 for years and couldn't remember the connection to Z Force but I wouldn't be surprised
I first saw the movie in the mid 60's at the drive-in with my father a WWII veteran who more than likely couldn't have survived himself without Z
@@LesSharp
I'm full of suggestions 👍
When I was at Surface Warfare Officer school in Newport RI I saw Admiral Bulkeley
at a restaurant about 1984.
He was well past normal retirement age and was head of INSERV.
Yep, he was also known to go aboard a ship due for an INSURV dressed as a shipyard worker to get a look around prior to the actual inspection.
I know this for a fact because it was in 1984-85, that I spotted him among a group of yard workers checking aboard at the quarterdeck of the Fast Frigate I served in.
The Admiral saw that I recognized him, he gave me a conspiratorial grin and a wink, I didn’t dime him out. 😏
Ship passed the INSURV and I was left with a fond memory and a sea story.
All for the best of the service in general. Nothing I hate more than a show being put on to fool the higher-ups. It always comes back to bite you in the end.
Nice job. Always been interested in the PT boats.
Thanks 👍
in the book more hardships were described. poor baby macarthur was seasick the whole way. i will never forgive him for running down American WW1 veterans of the Bonus Expeditionary Force with sabres drawn. all they wanted was their due.
one fairly unsung hero of the south Pacific was, of course, The French Chef, Julia Child. she was secret keeper of all movement in the South Pacific, being the assistant to Colonel Donavan, who headed up the OSS. she would later carry public television on her back (and wallet) for years. Thank You Julia.
MacArthur disobeyed a direct order from his commander, President Hoover, not to cross the bridge over the Anacostia. Under Mac was eager beaver George Patton, to lead the charge against veterans and their families in the encampment.
Yes, Bulkley's book is well worth a read. As you say, lots of hardships that are barely touched upon in a 2:15 movie, so way too much for TH-cam's attention span.
Did I miss where you mentioned that the guy that played Buckeley, Robert Montgomery, was the Commander of PT107?
You didn't miss it. I didn't know! Thanks for that tidbit!
@@LesSharp Montgomery commanded PT-107 in Europe, during D-Day for sure, and, I believe during Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, later that summer.
Montgomery suffered a number of 'episodes' during the filming of this movie, flashing back to his actual wartime experiences since they had been so recent. Director John Ford never said an unkind word to Montgomery and delayed filming a number of instances at significant expense to allow for the war hero's trauma and recovery.
When John Wayne said something at one time about the delays Ford gave a stern rebuke in front of the film crew to Wayne, his life long friend, commenting that the 'movie' war hero had never served in combat and therefore couldn't understand. (Wayne received a waiver because he had four children below the age of five when the war started.)
Ford held a temporary commission in the Navy for filming purposes and was at Midway Island on June 4, 1942 during the Japanese aerial attack, pretty much exactly like his efforts were portrayed in the recent movie, Midway.
Wow, great sidebar! I had felt Montgomery's performance in the movie a little wooden at points. This might explain why. Thanks for the info!
@@TedVinz7 I did not know Ford was on Midway. The actual footage I've seen for many years of the ground attacks and return fire always looked professionally done, but I thought it was USN combat cameramen. Thanks for that..
Navsourse puts Lt. Montgomery in the SWPA in command of PT-107 "Black Magic" in July of 1943.
They were a failure at what they were designed to do. They were they were initially feared by the Japanese because they thought they could launch real torpedoes like the ones they had. They were fast in calm water but a destroyer could run them down in rough seas. They ended up being utility boats and the place where they proved strategically important, after ditching the torpedoes and going with larger caliber guns and radar, was as armored barge busters at night when the Japanese resupply barges moved. "The efficiency of the PT boats at sinking the Japanese supply barges was considered a key reason that the Japanese had severe food, ammunition, and replacement problems during the New Guinea and Solomon Island campaigns, and made the PT boats prime targets for enemy aircraft." Reporting that would be a good movie as those armored barges knew how to shoot back.
Yep, there's a couple of videos focused on ops around the Pacific where they did much of that barge -hunting.
What a great video. My father bought 1st editions of "TWE" and "Am Guer in the PHIL" and they were among the first books I read. He's gone (died @ 97yo.), I have them now in my WW2 collections. Have the movie on vhs & dvd. Your video really means a lot to me. Thanks.
P.S. I just reviewed your content. Subbed and Liked. Thanks again.
Thanks for the kind words Ray! Great to hear from TWE superfans!
I found this very interesting and am a fan of the TWE movie. I had an uncle who ran a PT like boat out of New Guinea picking up downed aircrew for the US. He was a Sargent (I don't know what rank) in the Army. His younger brother was a merchant sailor in the North Atlantic and I think on the Murmansk run although I'm not positive about that. Of course all of these folks are gone now and I have kicked my rear for not talking to them at length and even worse not knowing what to ask. It took me many years to realize how much incredible history I was around and missed finding out about. Please keep up the good work. We need more than ever to remember freedom ain't free. Thanks!
Thanks! The craft you're talking about were usually known as Crash Boats. Similar to a PT boat but with a lot less explosive ordnance aboard.
The PT boats were flashy… but pretty much useless. During the battle of Surigao Straits, 39 PT Boats ambushed part of the Japanese fleet. NOT A SINGLE TORPEDO HIT despite dozens of torpedoes fired.
thank you for keeping all these HEROES' memories alive.
Glad you enjoyed it!
The gallant bravery displayed by the crews of those PT Boats led by LTJG's and Ensigns , they were fearless and had balls of steel on those Mahogany Boats ! They carried on board four Mark 8 torpedoes to kill ships ( cruisers , destroyers , etc. ) and the element of speed to get them out of harms way. Futhermore, thanks to the three Packard V12 engines the PT Boats could acheive well over 40 knots in an escape dash. Defensive protection from Japanese air attacks was provided by the following , a Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and if lucky they would rig up a Bofors 40 mm or a Olds 37 mm cannon on the stern and two twin fifties mounted on a swivel ring in nothing more than something that resembled a partially cutout oil drums on each side of the boat. One slightly fore and one slightly aft. And yes , they were expendable !! Some may call it suicide missions 😢 Respect to all Motor Torpedo Squadrons that fought in the Pacific. 🇺🇸👍
Amazing the boats could still go those speeds, given the weight they had to drag around!
They had that wonderful plaining hull and when the (3) V12 kicked its power in , she would get up and move. Some Boats made 45 knots lightly loaded.
Indeed. The ELCO prototype PT-20 did 44.1kts with a light load-out during the famous 'Plywood Derby' of 1941.
Hi, One of my favorite movies. Thank you for this video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Absolutely criminal with the torpedo situation vs. the heroics - wasted heroics - these crews were performing. Why are officers and politicians never sent to jail over such bullshit?
Oh, it's not like they didn't sink anything. They certainly had some real successes!
@@LesSharp At the same time, the successes came as a small percentage of the attempts that, had the torpedoes even been marginally acceptable, would have at least warranted PT crews going in on certain death attacks.
Torpedos were still being some what tested on the boats don’t forget.
By design shipmate
One of the best improvement to the boats, was when the torpedo tubes were replaced by the same depth charge launching system on destroyers. It lightened the boat and eliminated the flash that came with the tubes. Of course, the boat captains and helmsmen had to practice the art of turning the opposite away from the torpedo track during the initial launch
Yes indeed, the flashes were a dead giveaway to the enemy. I think in both cases, the skipper had to point the torpedo at the target point, not the boat, and yes, he would want to keep turning away from the torpedo after firing it, for obvious reasons.
So glad to find your videos. My uncle served aboard PT-337, which took an 8" shell while prowling in Hansa Bay.
Nielsen Beaumont Marine Inc on Shelter Island San Diego rebuilt two recover boats the same same as the PT boats designed to recover downed pilots The boats where turned in to yachts the two boats where builts at the end of WW II never saw combat
Thanksyou. Those men had lots of courage. They were on a one way mission, they knew they could not return home.
Thanks for all the details. TWE is my all time movie, I just got the blu ray version and they did right. Your right the fact that they didn't sink the cruiser takes nothing away from the film, but serves to prove there bravery even further. I think that's one of the most important times of the war. They knew they were there to hold and buy time for as long as they could, knowing that most likely they'd never see home again. I don't like remakes but here's a movie that just begs to be redone with the Facts. Thanks again look forward to more.
My girlfriend bought a shoebox of odds & ends for $20.00 at a yard sale. Inside was a PT Boat Pin and Army Air Force wings. I insisted on going back to see if more WW II items were available. She couldn't remember how to find the house !!
the John Wayne movie call They Were Expendable also starred Robert Montgomery. many people do not know that Robert Montgomery actually served during the war on a PT boat as a commander. if you ever see the movie while Montgomery is on the boat, you can see how connected he is with that boat because he actually ran one! tomorrow is June 6th D-Day. all day long they will be showing movies of the greatest Generation that ever went to war. God bless my father and all my uncles and all of the brave men and women that sacrifice during World War II!❤
Yes, I am sure the scenes where he's at the helm and the background is live action do indeed feature him driving the boat. I doubt the studio would have found anyone with more experience at the helm, and insurance wasn't such a big issue in those days.
And john Wayne stayed home and made movies... putz
I absolutely love P.T. Boats, as well as submarines, and destroyers, and naval maritime history is my favorite! It's nice to know what happened to these glorius boats and their crews! Thanks
In the movie "They Were Expendable", they used Elco 80 footers. The boat that is burning in the waves is obviously a mock-up of a Elco 77 footer. The crewman is carrying a poll mast which is from a 77 footer. The 80 footers had a triangular mast. I guess the production crew made a mock up of the right type of boat for this scene, but it was not consistent with the rest of the movie.
Huge respect for the PT crews. Bravo Zulu gents.
The Morse Code at the very end of the video says "History on Location".
Very observant of you! This is what I call my history content, since I try to produce content where I can show you the locations as they are now. Thanks for watching to the end!
What does PT stand for ? Is it Patrol Torpedo ?
The PTs used in the movie "They Were Expendable were two 80' Elcos and four 78' Huckins PTs.
Dad joined Navy in January 1942 he was in Pacific, he didn't talk much about the war
Read the Book.. much better..
Never seen a movie that was better than the book it was based on.
They got great gas milage. My ship, USN LHA, got 32ft/gal of JP5.
I can't imagine how frustrating it all must have been.
Every time I think, 'my job is shit', I think about what these guys had to deal with.
@@LesSharp
I got cold eggs every morning while visiting a friend and thought how a Wermacht soldier on the eastern front would give his left nut for cold eggs.
I remember back in the 60s a converted PT boat was used as a tour boat on Bass lake in central California. You hear the roar of those massive engines. I do not know the fate of it.
I live in California. Was that boat call PT JOE.
@@coleparker I really don’t remember. That would have been in the late 50s and 60s.
Great Video, very nicely done! Thanks for posting! Videos like this make TH-cam worth it. Best Regards from Alaska!
Thank you very much! High praise indeed!
I just found out that early PT boats were stationed in Alaska during the war. They really got around!
Packard engines have a sweet sound!!
Indeed! I wish there were more running examples!
The Kuma was a light cruiser of the Kuma-class. As I recall, the cruiser depicted in the equivalent segment of the movie was a Mogami-class heavy cruiser. Quite a difference!
" Gee-Haw! "
Considering all the random Allied tanks painted up as Tigers in Hollywood movies, I think they did quite well to actually have a Mogami, if that's what it was!
Yeah, the U.S. NAVY does it ALL, and does it ALL at ONCE! ( proud U.S. NAVY veteran here) 💙🇺🇸
Thank you for your service!
Thank you sir
Awesome men and women.
We have fun watching the movie... Seems a common way to ask for information in those days was to say ...any dope? Where's the dope. Not sure I'd use that slang now. Or When the new officer inspects for sanitation and spits out the "soup" dishwater. You might know any farm or industry owners thought to have helped the Americans were treated VERY badly by the Japanese version of army police.. As usual many more civilians died or were murdered by the ultra sadistic Japanese officer corp. Than all countries troops combined. Many atrocities going unreported due to no survivors.
But it seems they Got as bad as they gave...plus interest..
informative video, thanks for posting
read the book 40 years ago....am still angry. don't EVEN get me started on Dougie Mac
I cover a bit more of his shenanigans in the series on Operation Victor.
@@LesSharp thanks!
You mean Dugout doug don't you?
@@robertpayne2717 MacArthur. look up the Bonus Expeditionary Force, when WW1 soldiers and their families camped in washington asking for money owed to them. a young general Douglas MacArthur and major Eisenhower along with major Patton led Army troops against the veterans and their families with fixed bayonets, tanks and tear gas. MacArthur ignored orders from president Hoover and drove the B.E.F. onto the Anacosta flats and torched their shanty town, inhabited by 10,000 people. hospitals in Washington were overwhelmed that night.
Good work with the music soundtrack. Very well done. The rest too, but, the soundtrack deserves mention.
I enjoyed the movie and of course John Wayne who was very pro military and always enjoyed making movies about all branches of the US Military. Thanks for your video and giving us the rest of the story about these brave sailors and their heroic deeds. You can never depend on Follywood, specially today, to portray our military accurately and with respect.
Glad you enjoyed it! I have a few more vidoes on the PT boats of WW2 if you're interested, and a few more in the works.
In another few months, the movie "Devotion" (based on the Adam Makos book) will finally be released. I'm praying that Follywood as you so aptly put it, will not turn it into a woke diatribe and insert all sorts of Leftist messages. Well, one can hope, right?
John Wayne liked to play act a war hero, but unlike Jimmy Stewart and other Hollywood stars, he never actually wore the uniform.
@@the-expendable Yes, thank you Captain Obvious. Enough shitting on John Wayne, he was given a waiver, end of story.
Yeah, John Wayne was pro military up to the point of ACTUALLY SERVING, then not so much. Something John Ford never let him forget.
Excellent video. I especially liked the use of satellite images, and the "on this location" video.
There are a ton of places in the Philippines that would be interesting to do a "Then vs. Now" comparison.
Nice work. Thoroughly enjoyed that!
Much appreciated!
This is a history of great heroism. Under difficult circumstances, these seamen did the best thing that they could, to create the maximum damage that they can, by using their under "par" weapon on their enemies, suffering defeat and loss, and move on to another chapter of the battle. These are the story of some of the greatest heroes of World War Two
At the ship yard in Bremerton wa PSNS during the 60s they still had some PTs siting around
LETS NOT FORGET.....THERE WHERE THREE MOSQUITOBOAT SQADRON BOATBUILDERS IN AMERICA.....ELCO...HIGGINS...AND HUCKIMS....IVE BEEN LUCK TO WORK ON MANY WOODEN BOATS...
AMONG THEM BOATS FROM ALL THREE...HIGGINS ALSO BUILT HIGGINS BOATS....LANDING CRAFT..
Read The Expendable by John Floyd. It’s the story of a USN Independent Duty Corpsman serving in this squadron. Compelling reading.
I've watched "They Were Expendable" so many times, I've lost count and can just about recite the script. This is a very good follow up to the movie. Well done!
Same, maybe John Wayne’s most historically accurate films
Of course not totally nasty this shows , but much of it was
I knew a retired Colonel who was MacArthur' s communication officer. He had nothing complimentary about " Dugout Doug MacArthur".
I met Adm Bulkeley when the INSURV Board inspected USS Coronado (LPD11) in October 1980.
Love that movie. It amazingly fairly closely follws the book.
And where it doesn't, you can see the motives of the script writers are benign. I don't blame them a bit for the parts left out or embellished.
A B-17 USAAF Crew flew from Australia to pick up Gen. MacArthur and evacuate him landed in the Philippines after a long and dangerous flight. MacArthur ever the Prima Donna refused as the pilot’s rank wasn’t at least a full Col. and refused. MacArthur waited 10 hours after Pearl Harbor and did nothing more concerned about what the Philippine President would think rather than bomb the Japanese on Formosa (Taiwan) which the Japanese forces delayed by bad weather could have severely damaged. Instead the opposite. The General was a great planner and organizer but an obstinate asshole who illegally accepted a great deal of money from the Government of the Philippines, which his subordinates following regulations refused. The amount was discovered until after his death., $ 1/2. Million USD 1942 dollars. President Truman committed political suicide to recall and fire the general in Korea when as President and Commander in Chief he did so over the General’s insubordination.
John Wayne owned a PT Boat one time.
I guess he could afford to put gas in it, pre-74 at least!
Douglas Hofstadter quotes someone as saying, "My Dad was nearly the President of the United States.. he was the Captain of PT-108!"
very good!! thank you.
First book I ever read that didnt have pictures and one of my favorite movies.Bulkley was CO Guantanomo Bay when My ship did a refresher training stint there. I never saw him though. Woe betide the Boat officer that rocked his saiboat moored near the fleet landing. My dad saw them filming the movie in the Miami River when he was attached to PC 608 during the war.
WE HAD A 63 FT. A.V.R.,,,V DRIVE BACK IN THE 70'S...DURING THE WAR SHE HAD 2 HALL/SCOTT DEFENDER V-12'S,,,42 KNOTS...I WAS 15YEARS OLD AND STOPPING A FUEL LEAK ON THE STARBOARD ENGINE... THE BOAT WAS SO WELL BUILT,,,IT TWISTED LIKE A RUBBER BAND IN OVER 20 FT. SEAS..THANK YOU MIAMI SHIP BUILDING 1941...S.S.S. CHASER...
Thanks! I wanted to know about what actually happened to the PT boats and their men in the Philippines, for half a century. Beer, beer, beer, milk, milk...
That movie scene of MacArthur wearing a heavy coat in the Philippines is silly. No one who has been to the PI would ever think you need a coat no matter what time of year.
The Mark 8 torpedo was never used in submarines therefore how would the submariners have been able to tell them of the difficulties with it. In the years leading up to the war the submarines use the Mark 10 and then the mark 14
Correct. The MK8 was designed to be dropped from aircraft, but it had the same propulsion system, warhead and fuses as the Mk9 the submarine crews were using. They were not keeping quiet about the problems with that.
Excellent Commentary! I’ve been to some of the places depicted in this video.
Very nicely done! informative and educational as well. thank you
My uncle Mike served on the USS Canopus in the late 60's early70's in Bremerton for refit.
very well done! I appreciate all the work you've done researching this :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
...anybody else notice the resemblance of the USN officer to Curley of the Three Stooges?
Operations in utter chaos , looked to be quit a hair raising adventure .
Bulkeley's book is so understated you have to read between the lines a bit to see how chaotic things were.
Didn't see the movie
this video was excellent
Thank You !
My father and I looked at one for sale in I think the 50's, it was new construction as a off shore fishing boat, we couldn't afford it.
Wow. Just think how much it would cost to run it!
But what happened to the crews after the boats were lost? How many came home? You know Bulkley went on to supervise the PT core and help in the D Day invasion and received the MoH. What of the others?
Not far from the Greenville exit of I 79 in PA, there is a weapons development, test , manufacturing, storage area.
20 years ago the storage bunkers, shells of the plants still remained.
Also on a little lake was a building used to test torpedoes.
Does anyone know the history of this facility?
That's very interesting. Must have been pretty scary to go out fishing on that lake eh?
Are you kidding me?
My sister and cousin live in Mercer area
As the CHIEF BOATSWAINS MATE said in TWE
SHALOM ALEICHEM
Great story and information. I never knew a lot of what you presented.
They did martial arts during breaks and after work to stay in shape.
Subs used Mark-14s eventually fixed in 43
MacArthur left with his wife and daughter's nanny
I would love for someone to do a video comparison of the U.S. pt boats vs the German pt boats used in the Mediterranean I heard they were real beasts
Great presentation, thank you…!!!👍
I have look through the comments and I haven't noticed any reference to JF Kennedy a decorated captain of a PT boat. If I missed
it somewhere I apologize. I believe he had another important job later in life but what would a Canadian know about that. (Canadian
sense of humor.)
I decided not to do a video on PT-109 as it’s not obscure enough. Plenty of viewers have commented though, on some of my other videos.
Thank You for taking the time to research all this and put the truth out there. I had heard a little of this and that in several books, but you put it all together for me. Great Job.
Glad you found it interesting! Check out my other videos!
read the book by the same name
found a copy in a used book shop
You need to update Admiral Bulkeley's list of career decorations in your remarks. Admiral Bulkeley was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership of MTB Squadron 3 from December 7, 1941, until April 10, 1942. That period of time encompassed a number of successful combat operations against the Japanese and also included the evacuation of General MacArthur from the Philippines.
Done! I don't know how I missed that one! There's a separate video on the evacuations of MacArthur and Quezon btw.
28 September, 1941? Pearl Harbor was 7 December, 1941. So, we were in the fight before Pearl?
My opening statement is "Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, six boats commanded by Lt. John D. Bulkeley, had arrived in Manila Bay on September 28, 1941". This simply states that six boats of MTB Ron Three arrived at Cavite from Pearl Harbor on that date, months before the attack. Pearl Harbor of course existed before the IJN attacked it ;)
I'll be going into the reasoning behind that deployment, and the creation of the PT boat itself, in another video.