PT-109

PT-109. It was a PT boat of the United States Navy during World War II, commanded by future President John F. Kennedy. The vessel gained enduring fame after being rammed and sunk by the Japanese destroyer ''Amagiri'' in the Solomon Islands campaign, an event that highlighted Kennedy's leadership during the subsequent survival ordeal of his crew. Its story became a central element of Kennedy's political identity and has been memorialized in numerous books, films, and at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Background and construction

The PT boat was a class of fast, lightly armed torpedo boats used primarily for hit-and-run attacks against larger surface vessels. PT-109 was a 80-foot Elco model, constructed by the Elco Naval Division of the Electric Boat Company in Bayonne, New Jersey. Its keel was laid on 4 March 1942, and it was launched on 20 June of that same year, entering service during a critical phase of the Pacific War. The boat was powered by three Packard marine engines, which gave it high speed, and was armed with torpedo tubes, depth charges, and machine guns. Following commissioning, it was dispatched to the South Pacific to join the ongoing naval campaign around the Solomon Islands.

Service history

After its arrival in the Pacific Theater, PT-109 was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Two, operating from the forward base on Rendova Island. The boat and its crew participated in the intense nighttime patrols and skirmishes that characterized the New Georgia Campaign, tasked with intercepting Japanese supply convoys, known as the Tokyo Express, attempting to reinforce positions on islands like Kolombangara. Under the command of Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, who took over in April 1943, the boat engaged in several patrols and actions, though it achieved no confirmed sinkings of enemy vessels. The operational environment was perilous, with constant threats from Japanese aircraft, destroyers, and the challenging navigation of the confined, island-dotted waters of Blackett Strait.

Collision and sinking

On the night of 1–2 August 1943, PT-109 was on patrol in Blackett Strait with several other boats from its squadron. With its engines idling to avoid detection, the boat was caught silhouetted against the horizon when the Japanese destroyer ''Amagiri'', part of a reinforcement run, emerged from the darkness at high speed. At approximately 2:27 a.m., the destroyer rammed PT-109, cutting it in two and igniting its fuel tanks. The violent collision killed two of the thirteen crew members instantly. Kennedy, despite being injured, helped rally the surviving eleven men onto the floating bow section of the wreckage. As the bow began to sink, Kennedy ordered the crew to make for the distant Plum Pudding Island, with the injured men clinging to a timber from the shattered hull.

Rescue of survivors

The survivors, led by Kennedy, spent nearly six days evading Japanese patrols in the area. Kennedy famously towed a badly burned crewman, Patrick McMahon, by clenching the man's life jacket strap in his teeth during a grueling swim to one island. The group eventually moved to Olasana Island, where they subsisted on coconuts and rainwater. Their rescue was facilitated by two Coastwatchers, Australian naval officer Reginald Evans and Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, two Solomon Islanders in their employ. Kennedy carved a message on a coconut shell, which the islanders carried through dangerous waters to Evans, who then relayed the information. A rescue mission was coordinated, and on 8 August, the crew was safely extracted by another PT boat, PT-157, from Kennedy's former squadron.

Aftermath and legacy

The incident brought Lieutenant Kennedy immediate military recognition, including the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Purple Heart. The narrative of his courage and leadership became widely publicized, first in a 1944 ''New Yorker'' article by John Hersey and later in national media, forming a cornerstone of his public image during his political career, including his successful campaigns for the House, the Senate, and ultimately the Presidency. The story was dramatized in the 1963 film PT 109. Artifacts, including the salvaged hull and the famous coconut paperweight, are held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The event remains a defining episode in both U.S. Naval history and American political lore. Category:PT boats of the United States Navy Category:World War II patrol vessels of the United States Category:John F. Kennedy