Into the Dark Water: The Story of Three Officers and PT-109 by John Domagalski

Author:John Domagalski [Domagalski, John]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Casemate
Published: 2014-04-19T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

MOVING UP THE SLOT

The next large American offensive operation in the Solomon Islands was ready to begin in late June after months of plan- ning and preparation. An invasion fleet under the command of Admiral Richmond Turner departed from Guadalcanal on June 29 and set a course northwest. Its destination was New Georgia, home to a new Japanese airfield at Munda Point. Although under regular American air and sea bombardment since early 1943, the base remained largely operational. Capturing the air base was the ultimate goal of the mission.

The main assault began on June 30 and included landings at four locations. The largest and most important took place at Rendova. A small island adjacent to the larger New Georgia, Rendova stood directly across a narrow channel from Munda. The American strategy was to bombard the airfield with heavy land-based artillery guns before using Rendova as a staging area for a direct attack. The island was quickly secured after the landing took place without opposition.

Twelve PT boats of Squadron Nine accompanied the invasion force, under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander Robert Kelly of Philippines fame. Kelly was charged with establishing a forward PT base.

The island of Rendova is home to a 3,400 foot high mountain peak with coastal plains radiating out among various areas along the coastline. The inlet forming Rendova Harbor is on the northwestern portion of the island, and is partially protected from the open sea by a series of smaller islands and reefs forming a sheltered area suitable for anchoring large ships. Home to assorted coral reefs and an abundance of aquatic life, the harbor quickly became the center of American naval operations in the area.

Kelly chose Lumbari Island near the western entrance to Rendova Harbor as the location of the new PT base. The small kidney-shaped land mass was crowded with palm trees. It measured a mere four hundred yards long and half that distance in width. The station was very primitive with a square dugout set back from the beach with sandbag walls and a tent roof serving as base headquarters. Additional tents nearby functioned as the mess hall, sick bay, and housing facilities for the base force.311

There were constant reminders for the PT men of just how close they were to the front lines. The most prominent was the assortment of foxholes and gun emplacements spread around the immediate area. Crews lived aboard their boats. The base was soon christened Todd City in honor of Leon Todd, the first PT sailor to be killed in the area.

Unlike the PT bases at Tulagi and the Russells, Rendova featured sloping beaches that prevented the boats from mooring right up against the shore. The PT’s had to moor in clusters around buoys in the open water of the harbor.312 The arrangement made for little protection against air attacks.

It was not uncommon for afternoon rain clouds to gently move down from the mountain peak on Rendova and enshroud the harbor with rain. The area then became bathed in sunlight once the showers moved out to sea.

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