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| USN 80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat 56 Tons 80' x 20' 8" x 3' 6" 40mm Bofors gun 37mm cannon 20mm cannon 2x Twin .50 cal. MG 4 x 21" Torpedoes  USN Aug 20, 1942 |
Ship History Built by Electric Boat Company (Elco) in Bayonne, NJ. Laid down February 27, 1942 as the sixth 80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat. Launched June 17, 1942 as PT-108. Completed July 7, 1942 and placed into service in the U.S. Navy (USN). Wartime History During late August 1942 at Norfolk Navy Yard loaded aboard SS Joseph Stanton with PT-107 as aft deck cargo plus PT-109 as forward deck cargo and transported to the Panama Canal Zone (CZ) and unloaded. During late September 1942 assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Five (MTBRon 5) operating in the Panama Canal Zone. During early 1943 transported across the Pacific to the Solomon Islands. During September 1942 assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Five (MTBRon 5) operating in the Panama Canal Zone. During early 1943 transported across the Pacific to the Solomon Islands. In July 1943 assigned to Rendova PT Boat Base. Nicknamed "Plywood Bastard" and later nicknamed "8 Boat" and "Lil' Duck". During the night of August 1-2, 1943 under the command of Lt(jg) Sidney D. Hix departed Rendova PT Boat Base as one of fifteen PT-Boats on an overnight patrol in the Blackett Strait off Kolombangara. Patrolling the southern entrance of Blackett Strait was PT-108, PT-107, PT-104 and PT-106. During that same night, PT-109 was sunk during a collision with Amagiri. During the night of August 2-3, 1943 while patrolling off Vella Lavella repeatedly attacked by Japanese aircraft, but she not damaged. On August 22, 1943 participates in a daylight raid off Kolombangara and was repeatedly targeted by enemy gunfire and suffered serious casualties among her crew. On August 22, 1943 under the command of Lt(jg) David M. Payne with a U.S. Army demolition crew aboard departs Lever Harbor PT Boat Base on a daylight patrol to Kolombangara Island with air cover. As part of the second group, PT-124 covered the entrance of Webster Cove (Vovohe) as PT-108 and PT-125 entered and came under machine gun fire from many positions ashore and both sustained crew casualties but manage to escape. Aboard, Payne was immediately wounded and fell into the chart house. At the helm, Lt.(jg) Sidney D. Hix was fatally wounded in the head and put the wheel over to withdraw before he died. QM2c James G. Cannon, Jr. wounded in the arm, shoulder, and face still managed to bring PT-108 out of the cove. Gunner SC3c Jack O. Bell was killed and all the other gunners except one were wounded. Passenger Sgt. John E. Rogers was also killed while aiding one of the wounded gunners. Only one officer and two enlisted crew survived unhurt. After clearing the area, the crew put out fires and proceeded westward. Afterwards, PT-107 came alongside to transport the wounded back to base. Afterwards, operated from Rendova, Vella Lavella, Treasury, Bougainville, and Green Island. In April 1944 later operated from Saidor, Mios Woendi, Morotai and Samar. On February 15, 1945 assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron TEN (PTRon 10). Fate On November 11, 1945 placed out of service, stripped of usable parts then destroyed and scuttled off Samar Island in the Philippines. Memorials The three crew killed on August 22, 1943. Hix is buried at Gallatin City Cemetery in Gallatin, TN. Bell was buried on June 23, 1948 at Rogers was buried March 3, 1949 at Arlington National Cemetery at section 34 grave 4937. References NavSource - PT-108 At Close Quarters PT Boats in the United States Navy (1962) pages 57, 122, 130, 135-136 (August 22, 1943), 456, 461, 561 (index) FindAGrave - Sidney Dayton Hix (photo, grave photo) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Jack O. Bell (grave photos) FindAGrave - SC3 Jack Omar Bell (grave photo) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - John E. Rogers (grave photos) FindAGrave - John E Rogers (grave photo) Contribute
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