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| USN PT-Boat Elco 80' 56 Tons 80' x 20' 8" x 5' 1 x 40mm 2 x Twin 50 cal MG 4 x 21" Torpedoes |
Ship History Built by Electric Boat Company (Elco) in Bayonne, NJ. Laid down April 25, 1942. Launched July 25, 1942. Completed August 27, 1942. Assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 6 (MTBRon 6) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Clifton B. Maddox, USN. On April 1, 1943 assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 8 (MTBRon 8) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Barry K. Atkins, USN. Wartime History During late November 1942, towed behind a Liberty Ship with PT-122 from Cairns northward to New Guinea. On December 8, 1942 taken under tow by gunboat Tulsa to Milne Bay arriving December 11, 1942. On December 13, 1942 both PT-121 and PT-122 were sent to Porlock Harbor to establish an advanced base. During the night of December 18-19, 1942 the two PT boats made their first combat patrol. They sighted a Japanese submarine I-4 surfaced off the mouth of Mambare River and fired two torpedoes that they thought hit but did not explode. On March 3, 1943 during the night in the Battle of the Bismark Sea, four PT Boats PT-121, PT-68, PT-149 and PT-66 approached the burning Oikawa Maru at slow speed which was on fire and appeared to be abandoned. PT-149 believed it observe a search light on the ship and fired one torpedo at the ship before it lost sight of the target and the ship sank. Sinking History On March 27, 1944 PT-121 with PT-353 were investigated a schooner and were navigating the reefs at Ewasse in Bangula Bay inside Kimbe Bay near Talasea. Four Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-40 Kittyhawks from 78 Squadron flying over the area confirmed via radio that the schooner was hit and no longer a target. Later, four other RAAF P-40 Kittyhawks from 78 Squadron and a Beaufighter from 30 Squadron accidentally attacked the pair of PT-Boats. Another Beaufighter successfully identified the ships as friendly, but was not able to stop the attack. After they made several passes, PT-Boats returned fire, but the captains of each boat made them cease fire. Both PT-Boats were hit, burned and sank. Rescue Shortly after the attack, the first group of P-40s returned to the area, reported the tragedy and dropped life raft. Five hours later, other P-40s guided PT-346 and PT-354 to the site to look for survivors. A total of four officers and four enlisted men were KIA, four officers and four enlisted men were WIA. This was the first friendly fire incident in the South-West Pacific Area (SWPA) when Allied aircraft accidentally attacked PT-Boats but would not be the last incident. References Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 78 Squadron Operations Record Book (ORB) - March 27, 1944 "27.3.44 - 2 airplanes bombed and strafed A. A. positions on Garove Island, one bomb landing in target area and another in bivouac area. The A. A. area was strafed with unobserved results. An armed reconnaissance was carried out from Menelo Plantation to Hummock Head. Huts and buildings at Malalia, Bialia Plantation and Ubili were strafed and hit. Airplanes from this squadron together with airplanes from other units were concerned in an attack on two American P.T. boats [PT-121 and PT-353] in Kimbe Bay. 4 airplanes escorted P. T. boats to Ubili area with nil enemy sightings." At Close Quarters PT Boats, pages 171-174, 180, 232-233, 259, 457, 459, 46, 488 NavSource PT-121 Contribute
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