"Ordeal in Vitiaz Strait" by Jack Fellows PT Boats fought in all theaters of Naval Combat Operations during WWII - but perhaps nowhere were they more suited to the environment than in the island-studded tropical SW Pacific. From the Philippines to the Solomons, they excelled in the nocturnal cat-and-mouse sorties against Japanese supply barge traffic which was launched in a desperate effort to stem the tide of the Allied advance. On December 27,1943, PT-190 and PT-191 were attacked by fighter and dive-bomber elements as they made their way back to their base at Dreger Harbor, on New Guinea. The Imperial Japanese navy, totaling approximately 28 aircraft, surprised the PT's as they were crossing the open stretch of water between New Britain and New Guinea known as the Vitiaz Strait. During a long running battle where the attacking aircraft made repeated attacks on these two inviting targets, the PT skippers successfully eluded their tormentors as they ran at forty-plus knots toward the cover of a heavy rainsquall, so common in this area. Limited Edition of 950 (23 1/2"' x 20") |
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