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| Location Morotai PT Boat Base (PT Advance Base 4) was located on Soemoe Soemoe Island off the southwest of Morotai Island. Prewar and during World War II located in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Today located in North Maluku Province in Indonesia. Construction PT Advance Base 4 was built by a detachment from the 116th Naval Construction Battalion (116th NCB) "Seabees". Previously, PT Boats were supported by USS USS Oyster Bay (AGP-6) with Squadron 33 withdrew on October 3, 1944. Wartime History On September 15, 1945 the U.S. Army 31st Infantry Division made an amphibious landing on southwest of Morotai Island, On September 16, 1944 USS Mobjack (AGP-7) and USS Oyster Bay (AGP-6) arrived with forty-one PT Boats. That night, sixteen departed on their first patrol and returned the next morning. Over the next eleven months until the surrender of Japan, Morotai based PT Boats conducted 1,300 patrols and special missions. They claimed 50 barges and 150 other miscellaneous small craft destroyed. They primarily patrolled the Morotai Strait to prevent Japanese reinforcements from Halmahera Island from reaching the Japanese garrison on Morotai Island or an evacuation. They also conducted harassing raids against Halmahera Island and with extra fuel in deck tanks could operate 200 miles away to Obit Island off southwest Halmahera Island. Only three PT Boats were lost from Morotai: PT-371 grounded on September 18, 1944 and destroyed to prevent capture, PT-368 grounded October 11, 1944 and destroyed and PT-363 destroyed November 25, 1944. Once the PT Advance Base 4 was completed, USS Oyster Bay (AGP-6) with Squadron 33 withdrew October 3, 1944. By February 1945, Squadron 9 and Squadron 10 departed as Japanese barge traffic declined and USS Mobjack (AGP-7) also withdrew. On February 17, 1945 Squadron 11 and Squadron 18 arrived to continue operations. In June 1945 Squadron 18 was relieved for overhaul and replaced by Squadron 25. On August 25, 1945 in the morning sixteen PT Boats got underway for a rendezvous with the commanders of the Japanese forces on Halmahera Island. The force was led by PT-115 under the command of Lt. Comdr. Theodore R. Stansbury with Maj. Gen. Harry H. Johnson, commander U.S. Army 93rd Infantry Division (Colored) and his staff. As arranged by radio, the PT Boats rendezvoused with two Japanese barges near Miti Island off northeast Halmahera Island. The Japanese sent General Ishii's chief of staff and operations officer. Upset the General had not come as expected, the Japanese were instructed to bring their commander the next morning. On August 26, 1945 six PT Boats with U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Warren H. McNaught embarked rendezvoused with the Japanese leaders Imperial Japanese Army Lieutenant General Ishii commander 32nd Infantry Division and Imperial Japanese Navy Captain Fujita and took them to Morotai where they surrendered at the headquarters of 93rd Infantry Division (Colored). References At Close Quarters (1962) pages 368 (September 16, 1944), 373-374, 438, 441-442 (August 25-26, 1945) Contribute
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