PT-109
What do you know about
PT-109? Defend with this World War II Quick Quiz.
 1.
MTBs (Motor Torpedo Boats) were designed for high speed and
maneuverability on the water to get close enough to launch their
torpedoes at enemy vessels. With next to no armor, the boats
relied upon their agility at high speed to avoid being hit by
gunfire from bigger ships.
2. The PT-109's keel was laid down on March 4 1942. Where was
it built?
- Bayonne, New Jersey
- Bridgeport, West Virginia
- Santa Barbara, California
3. What was the date the PT-109 was launched?
- May 20, 1942
- June 20, 1942
- July 20, 1942
4. In an action considered too inconsequential by military
historians to even have a formal name, PT-109 was sent out
north on a night mission through Ferguson Passage to Blackett
Strait. She was one of 15 boats sent to intercept the Tokyo
Express. PT-109, along with PT-162 and PT-169, continued to
patrol the area in case the enemy ships returned. What was NOT one
of the PT boats with PT-109?
5. With only ten seconds warning, PT-109's crew realized they
were squarely in the path of the Japanese destroyer. What was the
name of the destroyer?
6. What was the date the Japanese destroyer cut the PT-109 in
half?
- August 2, 1943
- September 2, 1943
- October 2, 1943
7. All of the nearby large islands had Japanese camps on them.
The survivors carefully chose the tiny deserted island, southwest
of Kolombangara Island. They placed their lantern, shoes, and
non-swimmers on one of the timbers used as a gun mount and began
kicking together to propel it. It took four hours for the
survivors to reach their destination, 3.5 miles away. What was the
island?
- Plum Pudding Island
- Purple Flowers Island
- Red Orange Island
8. Kennedy had swum at Harvard University, so, using a life
jacket strap he clenched in his mouth, he towed one of his
badly-burned sailors. Who was the sailor?
- Patrick H. "Pappy" McMahon
- Gerard E. Zinser
- John E. Maguire
9. Kennedy then led his men to Olasana Island, which had
coconut trees and water. The explosion on August 2 was spotted by
Australian coastwatcher Sub Lieutenant Arthur Reginald Evans, who
manned a secret observation post at the top of the volcano on
Kolombangara Island; over ten thousand Japanese troops were
garrisoned in the southeast. The Navy and its squadron of PT boats
held a memorial service for the crew of PT-109 after
reports were made of the large explosion. However, Evans
dispatched Solomon Islanders Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana in a
dugout canoe to look for possible survivors after decoding news
that the explosion he had witnessed was probably from the lost PT-109.
What was the PT boat that rescued the PT-109 crew?
10. Lt. John Kennedy and some PT-109 crew decided to remain in
the South Pacific. What was the PT boat Kennedy commanded?
|
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation
License.