Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59
Encyclopedia
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-59 was a 77-foot Elco
PT boat
that served with the US Navy in World War II
. She is noted for being the second command of then-Lieutenant, junior grade
(LTJG) John F. Kennedy
(who later became President of the United States
) in the Pacific Theater
during World War II
.
, causing eight injuries, but no deaths on 9 April 1942.
At the end of May 1942, Ensign
David M. Levy took over PT-59 and his Squadron was first sent to Panama
. They were to guard the canal and the Central and South American coast on anti-submarine duty. In October 1942 PT-59 took off on board USS Roger Williams to the South Pacific
. In November 1942 PT-59 got to the Solomons with PT Squadron No. 2, numbering 8 boats. The Squadron was based at Sesapi on Tulagi
Island. In March 1943 PT-59 was moved forward to the Russell Islands
. In the fall of 1943 David M. Levy returned to the United States to be succeeded by LTJG "Jack" Kennedy as commander of PT-59.
was rammed and sunk by the Amagiri
on the night of 2 August 1943.
Before Kennedy received it, PT-59 had her torpedo tubes removed and was converted into a gunboat. It was given two 40-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, .30 and .50-caliber machine guns behind shields. Kennedy set up some of the shields for live fire tests and it was found they could be breached at short range with .30 and .50-caliber machine guns at a frontal angle.
On November 2, 1943, in an incident which was portrayed as an action by PT-109 in the film PT-109, PT-59 helped evacuate 40 to 50 Marines (including several dozen wounded men) from the 1st Parachute Battalion of the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment who had been trapped during a raid on Choiseul Island
. After the rescue, PT-59 ran out of gas on the return trip and had to be towed by PT-236. One badly wounded Marine died in Kennedy's bunk aboard PT-59 that night.
, Rhode Island
. It is safe to assume repairs were performed on the boat by the MTB Base Repair Training Unit. PT-59 was then redesignated as a small craft, and along with Ex-PT-47 used briefly as an Air Sea Rescue boat at NAS Norfolk, then as a test subject for dehydration tests at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was stricken and sold in 1947. In a cruel twist of fate PT-59 quietly ended her days in the 1970s after having served (possibly since 1947) as a fishing boat in Manhattan
.
It had been thought this boat was formerly PT-95, a 78 foot Huckins
PT Boat, a very different (training only) design with no significant wartime history, and hence no immediate efforts were made to save the vessel. When the actual identity of this boat was discovered, James "Boat" Newberry, founder of PT Boats Inc., attempted to obtain the boat; however, the boat's ownership was tangled up in NYC
probate court. Somehow a fire occurred, and the boat eventually sunk at its mooring, beside the 207th St. bridge over the Harlem River
, around 1976. The hull sat there for years and slowly fell apart and rotted away. Thus, an important historical artifact was lost due to a typing error. What was left was eventually removed and she has since been declared destroyed by USCG-NYC.
Electric Launch Company
The Electric Launch Company, later renamed Elco Motor Yachts, is a United States boat building and electric motor company that has operated from 1893 until present . It was originally run by Henry R. Sutphen in 1895...
PT boat
PT boat
PT Boats were a variety of motor torpedo boat , a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. The PT boat squadrons were nicknamed "the mosquito fleet". The Japanese called them "Devil Boats".The original pre–World War I torpedo boats were...
that served with the US Navy in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She is noted for being the second command of then-Lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
(LTJG) John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
(who later became President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
) in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
1942 to 1943
PT-59 had a checkered history, as it had only been involved in a single action when it had accidentally fired a torpedo into a friendly supply ship USS CapellaUSS Capella (AK-13)
USS Capella was a cargo ship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for the star.Capella was built in 1920 as Comerant by American International Shipbuilding Corporation, Hog Island, Pennsylvania, under a Shipping Board contract; acquired by the Navy 20 November 1921; and...
, causing eight injuries, but no deaths on 9 April 1942.
At the end of May 1942, Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
David M. Levy took over PT-59 and his Squadron was first sent to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. They were to guard the canal and the Central and South American coast on anti-submarine duty. In October 1942 PT-59 took off on board USS Roger Williams to the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. In November 1942 PT-59 got to the Solomons with PT Squadron No. 2, numbering 8 boats. The Squadron was based at Sesapi on Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
Island. In March 1943 PT-59 was moved forward to the Russell Islands
Russell Islands
The Russell Islands are two small islands, as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands. They are located approximately 48 km northwest from Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at...
. In the fall of 1943 David M. Levy returned to the United States to be succeeded by LTJG "Jack" Kennedy as commander of PT-59.
Under Kennedy's command
In October 1943, Kennedy took command of PT-59. Kennedy was given command when he chose to stay and fight in the Pacific Theater (PTO) after his first command, the PT-109Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
PT-109 was a PT boat last commanded by Lieutenant, junior grade John F. Kennedy in the Pacific Theater during World War II...
was rammed and sunk by the Amagiri
Japanese destroyer Amagiri
was the 15th of 24 s, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world. They served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, and remained formidable weapons systems well into the Pacific War. She...
on the night of 2 August 1943.
Before Kennedy received it, PT-59 had her torpedo tubes removed and was converted into a gunboat. It was given two 40-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, .30 and .50-caliber machine guns behind shields. Kennedy set up some of the shields for live fire tests and it was found they could be breached at short range with .30 and .50-caliber machine guns at a frontal angle.
On November 2, 1943, in an incident which was portrayed as an action by PT-109 in the film PT-109, PT-59 helped evacuate 40 to 50 Marines (including several dozen wounded men) from the 1st Parachute Battalion of the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment who had been trapped during a raid on Choiseul Island
Raid on Choiseul
-External links: Also available at:...
. After the rescue, PT-59 ran out of gas on the return trip and had to be towed by PT-236. One badly wounded Marine died in Kennedy's bunk aboard PT-59 that night.
After Kennedy's command
PT-59 stayed out in the Solomons until August 1944, when she and 5 other 77' Elco PT Boats were transported back to the Motor Torpedo Boat Training Base at MelvilleMelville, Rhode Island
Melville is a village in the town of Portsmouth in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The village is also the basis of a census-designated place , which extends south along the shore of Narragansett Bay into the town of Middletown to encompass the village of Lawtons and the port...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. It is safe to assume repairs were performed on the boat by the MTB Base Repair Training Unit. PT-59 was then redesignated as a small craft, and along with Ex-PT-47 used briefly as an Air Sea Rescue boat at NAS Norfolk, then as a test subject for dehydration tests at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was stricken and sold in 1947. In a cruel twist of fate PT-59 quietly ended her days in the 1970s after having served (possibly since 1947) as a fishing boat in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
It had been thought this boat was formerly PT-95, a 78 foot Huckins
Huckins Yacht Corporation
Huckins Yacht Corporation is one of the oldest boat builders in the United States and is currently run by the third-generation owners Cindy and Buddy Purcell....
PT Boat, a very different (training only) design with no significant wartime history, and hence no immediate efforts were made to save the vessel. When the actual identity of this boat was discovered, James "Boat" Newberry, founder of PT Boats Inc., attempted to obtain the boat; however, the boat's ownership was tangled up in NYC
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
probate court. Somehow a fire occurred, and the boat eventually sunk at its mooring, beside the 207th St. bridge over the Harlem River
Harlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
, around 1976. The hull sat there for years and slowly fell apart and rotted away. Thus, an important historical artifact was lost due to a typing error. What was left was eventually removed and she has since been declared destroyed by USCG-NYC.