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| USN 80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat 56 Tons 80' x 20' 8" x 5' 4 x 21" Torpedoes 1 x 40mm gun 2 x Twin .50 cal MG  USN July 7, 1943  USN October 19, 1943  Justin Taylan 2003 |
Captain Ensign Henry W. Cutter, USNR (rescued) Crew MoMM3c Francis C. Watson (rescued) Crew Ensign Robert W. Hyde, O-256983 USNR (MIA / KIA) Hamden, CT Crew Ensign Bruce S. Bales, USNR, O-257522 (MIA / KIA ) Hayesville, NC Crew QM2c Allen B. Gregory, Jr., 6426012 USNR (MIA / KIA) New Haven, CT Crew RM2c Harry E. Barnett, USNR (rescued) Crew Y2c Henry S. Timmons (rescued) Crew TM3c Edgar L. Schmidt, 5763780 USNR (MIA / KIA) TX Crew MoMM3c Evo A. "Tony" Fucili, 7096196 USNR (MIA / KIA) NJ Crew SC3c James P. Mitchell (rescued) Engine Room MoMM1c William Daley, Jr., 7079462 USNR (WIA, MIA buried at sea March 7, 1944) NY Crew TM2c Morgan J. Canterbury, 6086163 USNR (MIA / KIA) NY Sunk March 7, 1944 Ship History Built by Electric Boat Co., Elco Works, Bayonne, NJ. Laid down February 17, 1943 as a 80' Elco Motor Torpedo Boat. Launched April 24, 1943 as PT-337. Completed May 14, 1943 in the U.S. Navy (USN). Wartime History Assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 24 (MTBRon 24) and shipped as cargo across the Pacific to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). Nicknamed "PT Intrepid" and later "Heaven Can Wait". This PT Boat operated from Dregger Harbor PT Boat Base on the north coast of New Guinea. During the night of March 5, 1944 to March 6, 1944 PT-337 participated in a successful attack against Bogia Bay. The next night a follow up mission was planned further to the north deeper into enemy territory. Mission History On March 6, 1944 during the evening departed Dregger Harbor PT Boat Base under the command of Ensign Henry W. Cutter with PT-338 under the command of captain Lt.(jg) Carl T. Gleason. The pair proceeded northward into enemy territory to search for enemy barges in Hansa Bay. On March 7, 1944 at 2:00am the pair were idling outside Hansa Bay then spotted targets close to shore on radar and attacked two luggers moored together, but heavy machine gun fire opened up from the beach area. Turning to strafe the beach, more guns opened up including a heavy battery at Awar Point. Their first shell fired landed in the water near PT-337, with three or four others hitting nearby. Another hit the engine room, and started fires aboard, wounding crew member Daley, forcing them to abandon the boat, that exploded and sank. Attempting to render aid, PT-338 tried to approach the area but was driven away by gun fire every time and was forced to withdraw alone before dawn. Fates of the Crew In a life raft, the crew attempted to paddle out to sea, but were fighting strong currents. During in the night, Daley died from his wounds and was buried at sea. By morning, their raft was still near Hansa Bay drifting towards Manam Island. They attempted to reach the island as it might be easier to escape detection and locate food or water. Currents kept them from reaching the island. Two of the crew attempted to swim to the island, but currents swept them back. Two others also tried in the night and were never seen again. On March 8, 1944 by dawn, the life raft was still to the north of Manam Island. Delirium gripped the surviving crew, with more trying to swim to the island, but disappearing. They thought they saw one of them reach the shore, then Japanese appear on the beach. Mitchell successfully reached the shore, saw enemy and returned to the raft. That night, a boat approached them from shore with armed men aboard, but a sudden squall came up and the boat disappeared. On March 9, 1944 in the morning they found a overturned Japanese boat, and a crab clinging to it that they ate, and a drifting dried coconut. This was the only food or water they had and all were covered in sores and sunburn. On March 10, 1944 at noon three B-25 Mitchells circled them and dropped a package but it sank. Two other packages survived with instructions that a PBY Catalina would rescue them the next day. Rescue On March 11, 1944 a PBY Catalina escorted by two P-47D Thunderbolts arrived to rescue the five survivors and transported them back to Dregger Harbor. Memorials The seven Missing In Action (MIA) crew members: Hyde, Bales, Gregory, Schmidt, Fucili, Daley (buried at sea) and Canterbury were officially declared dead on January 16 1946. Each earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Bales also has a memorial marker at First United Methodist Church Cemetery in Hayesville, NC. References NARA Report of Action of PT 338 night of March 6-7 1944 pages 1-29 The Pittsburgh Press "Survivors of PT Boat Spend Five Days in Jap Waters" April 2, 1944 page 51 Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - U.S. Navy Motor Torpedo Boat Operational Losses "PT-337 destroyed by Japanese shore batteries, Hansa Bay, New Guinea, 7 Mar. 1944" Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Casualties: U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Vessels, Sunk or Damaged Beyond Repair during World War II, 7 December 1941-1 October 1945 "PT-337 destroyed by Japanese shore batteries, Hansa Bay, New Guinea, 7 March 1944." At Close Quarters PT Boats in the United States Navy (1962) pages 224-225, 226, 237, 471, 487-488 NavSource - PT-337 (photos) American Battle Monuments Commission ( ABMC) -(ABMC) - Robert W. Hyde FindAGrave - ENS Robert William Hyde (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Bruce S. Bales FindAGrave - ENS Bruce Sullivan Bales (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ENS Bruce Sullivan Bales (photo, memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission ( ABMC) - Allen B. Gregory Jr. FindAGrave - Allen Burkey Gregory Jr. (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission ( ABMC) - Edgar L. Schmidt does not list Purple Heart, posthumously FindAGrave - TM2 Edgar Louis Schmidt (tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission ( ABMC) - Evo A. Fucili FindAGrave - MoMM2 Evo Anthony Fucili (tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission ( ABMC) - William Daley, Jr. buried at sea FindAGrave - MoMM1 William Daley Jr. (tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission ( ABMC) - Morgan J. Canterbury FindAGrave - TM2 Morgan James Canterbury (tablets of the missing photo) Contribute
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