PT Boat - PT Boats

PT Boats

Many PT boats became famous during and after World War II:

• PT-41, commanded by Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley, carried General Douglas MacArthur in his escape from Corregidor Island, Philippines. Bulkeley was awarded the Medal of Honor for his operations in the Philippines before rescuing MacArthur. Bulkeley's story inspired the book They Were Expendable, and the movie of the same name. PT-41 was the flagship of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three (MTBRON 3), based in the Philippine Islands 1941–1942 (PT-41, −31, −32, −33, −34, −35).
• Life magazine published an article about the PT boat captains in the battles off Guadalcanal, featuring the exploits of Lieutenants "Stilly" Taylor, Leonard A. Nikoloric, Lester Gamble, and Robert and John Searles; the article mentioned many boats in MTB Squadrons Two and Five (in particular, PT-36, PT-37, PT-39, PT-44, PT-46, PT-48, PT-59, PT-109, PT-115, and PT-123).
• Other PT boats gaining fame during the war were PT-363 and PT-489, the boats used by Lieutenant Commander Murray Preston to rescue a downed aviator in Wasile Bay, off Halmahera Island, for which Preston was awarded the Medal of Honor.
• PT-109, commanded by future President John F. Kennedy, was made famous through the 1961 book PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II by Robert J. Donovan, and the 1963 film based on it.
• PT-59: Commanded by John F. Kennedy after the loss of PT-109
• PT-105: Commanded by Dick Keresey at the time of the loss of PT-109. Keresey wrote a book by the same name.
• "PT-373" Commanded by Lt. Belton A. Copp was the first boat, of a two boat squadron, to enter Manila Harbor in order to "test defenses" since the U.S. retreat in 1942. General McArthur honored Lt. Copp and the crew of PT-373 by using it to carry him back into Manilla Harbor on 2 March 1945.