KILLED  BY  JAPANESE  POW  HE  WAS  GUARDING

Seaman First Class Raymond Albert survived the sinking of USS PT-109 in what may well be the most famous small-craft engagement in U.S. naval history.  Unfortunately, only two months later he was killed at sea while serving aboard USS PT-163.

In Blackett Strait, south of Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands, the starless, moonless night of August 1-2, 1943, was profoundly dark, inky blackness.  USS PT-109 stood at her station, one of fifteen PT boats that had set out to engage, damage, and maybe even turn back the well-known "Tokyo Express," a name given to the Japanese navy's supply convoy to soldiers fighting the advance of U.S. forces in the islands farther south.  When the patrol actually did come in contact with the Tokyo Express—three Japanese destroyers acting as transports with a fourth serving as escort—the encounter did not go well.  Thirty torpedoes were fired without damaging the Japanese ships.  No U.S. vessels suffered hits or casualties.  Boats that had used up their complement of torpedoes were ordered home.  The few that still had torpedoes remained in the strait for another try.

PT-109 was one of the boats left behind.  The boat’s commander, LTJG John Fitzgerald Kennedy, future U.S. President, rendezvoused his boat with two others.  The three boats spread out to make a picket line across the strait.  At about 2:30 in the morning, a shape loomed out of the black darkness three hundred yards off PT-109's starboard bow.  Kennedy and his crew first believed it was another PT boat.  When it became apparent that it was a Japanese destroyer, Kennedy attempted to turn to starboard to bring his torpedoes to bear but there was not enough time.  The Japanese destroyer, later identified as the AMAGIRI, had begun a high speed 400-mile run for Rabaul when a lookout spotted something small dead ahead.  Correctly believing the unidentified boat to be an American PT boat the AMAGIRI’s commanding officer ordered the helmsman to speed at 30+ knots directly toward the object.  PT-109 was struck just forward of the forward starboard torpedo tube, ripping away the starboard aft side of the boat.  Although slightly damaged, AMAGIRI sped away in the darkness without slowing or firing her guns.

The collision knocked several men into the water and one man below decks miraculously escaped, although he was badly burned by exploding fuel.  The collision ruptured fuel tanks aboard PT-109 and fires erupted aboard the wreckage to which Seaman Albert and several others clung.  Kennedy ordered the men who still remained on the wreck to abandon ship but when the fire began to subside, Kennedy sent his men back to what was left of the boat.  Floating on and around the hulk, the crew took stock and discovered that two crewmembers had disappeared in the collision, very likely killed at impact. All the men were exhausted, several were injured and a couple had been sickened by the fuel fumes. There was no sign of other boats or ships in the area and the men were afraid to fire their flare gun for fear of attracting the attention of the Japanese who were on islands on all sides.  Although the wreckage was still afloat, it was taking on water and it capsized on the morning of August 2.  After a discussion of options and it was apparent that the wreckage would sink, the men abandoned the remains of PT-109 and started swimming toward an uninhabited islet about three miles away. Once ashore LTJG Kennedy swam to another nearby island where he found friendly natives and after five days a message was carried to American forces who sent a PT boat to rescue the ten survivors.

After his rescue Seaman Albert was reassigned to USS PT-163 where he met his untimely death on October 8, 1943.  The circumstances of his death were described by author Robert J. Donovan in his book “PT-109; John F. Kennedy in World War II” published in 1961:

“Seaman First Class Raymond Albert was reassigned to the crew of Ensign Edward H. Kruse Jr. in PT-163 only to be treacherously killed several weeks later.  On the night of October 6-7 the Japanese destroyer YUGUMO was sunk by an American torpedo during the battle of Vella Lavella.  The next day PT-163 was ordered to the Slot to pick up survivors for interrogation.  The Japanese sailors submitted to being hauled aboard only when Ensign Kruse pointed his gun in their faces.  The prisoners were ordered to strip down and lie on the foredeck while Albert and another sailor were stationed on either side of the cockpit with submachine guns to guard them.  At dusk, as PT-163 was nearing its base, a prisoner, the one who had been the toughest to deal with in the water, appealed to Albert for a drink.  Twenty, good-hearted and inexperienced, Albert fetched a cup of water and handed it to him.  Instead of taking the cup the Japanese grabbed the submachine gun slung under Albert’s arm.  Albert struggled desperately but the fellow had the jump on him.  He forced the barrel against Albert’s chest and pulled the trigger.  Several prisoners leaped up.  It was the last thing that they and Albert’s killer ever did.  The other sailor standing guard with Albert slaughtered every man who was not lying flat on his back.”

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)