John F. Kennedy and PT-109 by Richard Tregaskis

Author:Richard Tregaskis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, World War II
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 1962-09-09T01:00:00+00:00

8.

Disaster at Sea

At dusk, the fifteen PT boats headed north from Rendova toward the new Torpedo Junction, Blackett Strait, at the southern tip of Kolombangara. According to the coastwatchers, air scouts and intelligence, the new Tokyo Express was headed down The Slot. The mission of the four Japanese destroyers, as was learned much later, was to land supplies for their troops at Vila, on the southern tip of Kolombangara. To get there, they were coming down from the north past Vella Lavella and Gizo. And they would have to pass through the narrows called Blackett Strait, on the south side of Kolombangara.

The fifteen PTs from Rendova came up past the island called Wana Wana to try to blockade Blackett Strait and keep the Japanese force from slipping through to Vila. The small mosquito boats spread themselves, piecemeal, across Blackett Strait in the best position to intercept.

The two closest to the enemy moving southward were PT-159, Lieutenant Henry J. Brantingham commanding, followed by Lieutenant W. F. Liebenow’s PT-157. Brantingham, who had radar in his boat—a new thing for the PTs in those days—closed in about midnight to strafe small radar blips which he believed to be landing craft. He was surprised when a sheet of screaming shells started landing all around him. The blips were destroyers! The two PT boats fired six torpedoes without making a hit. Then they dodged away in a smoke screen.

To the north of PT boats 157 and 159 were Lieutenant Kennedy’s PT-109 and Lieutenant J. R. Lowrey’s 162. But they were far removed from Brantingham in the dark, and lost radio contact. Seeing the prolonged flashes of gunfire, they surmised that the other two boats had been taken under fire by Japanese shore batteries.

They kept on patrolling at slow speed, between Wana Wana and Gizo to the north of Blackett Strait, trying to get word on what had happened.

Meanwhile, the Tokyo Express was streaking toward Blackett Strait, where four more boats were in position. But here Only PT-171—also equipped with radar—made contact. The division commander, Lieutenant Arthur Berndtson, ordered the skipper to shoot all four of his torpedoes while under fire. But all of them missed.

Three more boats, farther to the east, saw the flashes and closed range. They were spotted by the destroyers, which let go with their main batteries, while overhead an enemy float plane dropped a flare and tried to strafe. The boats fired all their torpedoes—twelve—and claimed hits, but they evidently failed to score. The Tokyo Express of four destroyers swept undeterred and undamaged through Blackett Strait.

It seemed to Lieutenant Kennedy on 109 and Lieutenant Lowrey on 162 that they had missed all the excitement. Both officers knew from the white flashes and heavy cannonading that ship action had been joined. But their own boats had been too far to the north.

As ordered, they kept on patrolling at slow speed. Only one engine on each boat was in gear in order to keep down the wake. Thus the boats would be less visible to the pesky Japanese float planes in the clouds.

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