Wreck of USS PT-509

Jersey / Saint Brelade /
 Second World War 1939-1945, military, shipwreck, invisible, United States Navy
Laid down in October 1943 at the ELCO Electric Boat Works in Bayonne, NJ, PT-509 was an 80ft Motor Torpedo Boat which was placed into US Navy service in January 1944 assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Thirty Four (PTRon 34). After working up and type training along the US East Coast, PT-509 was loaded aboard a freighter and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to England, where she and her Squadronmates resumed their training in advance of the planned Allied assault of Fortress Europe.

Off the landing beaches of Normandy on June 6th, 1944 as Allied forces invaded Vichy France, PT-509 and her crew screened landing craft and lent assistance to the numerous damaged and destroyed ships littering the beachhead for several days. Once the Normandy beachhead was firmly established, PT-509 and the boats of PTRon 34 engaged in regular combat patrols along the coast, hunting Nazi E-Boats, Submarines and surface craft as Allied and Axis forces vied for control of vital French ports.

Dispatched to the German-held island of Jersey on the 9th of August, 1944 to intercept a reported German supply convoy, PT-509 and her crew passed through foul weather and heavy fog to enter the heavily mined waters along the Southeast coast of Jersey. Using the low visibility to their advantage, PT-509’s crew crept towards shore and eventually sighted several German ships off the beach at Saint Ouen's Bay discharging their cargo onto landing craft. Choosing to remain undetected, PT-509’s Captain remained off La Corbiere Point and launched all four torpedoes into the German formation. From this distant position, PT-509’s crew saw and heard no obvious sounds of torpedo impacts among their targets, so the decision was made to enter Saint Ouen's Bay at speed and strafe as many German vessels as possible before using the PT Boat’s high speed to escape into open waters.

Among the assembled German merchant ships the passage of four torpedoes had not gone unnoticed among the wary crews, and within moments several German escort ships mobilized and proceeded towards the torpedo’s origin at flank speed. Within moments, lookouts on several ships sighted the onrushing PT-509 in the distance and opened fire, catching the crew of the American PT Boat by surprise and in a closing crossfire. With her gun positions already manned, PT-509’s crew returned fire on their attackers as her Captain took evasive maneuvers and for several minutes a fierce firefight raged in the shallow and foggy waters off La Corbiere. Struck several times by large caliber shells, PT-509 momentarily lost headway and thereby her greatest defense against the circling German ships, one of which quickly seized the opportunity and closed in to ram.

Raking the approaching German Minesweeper with machine gun fire, PT-509’s crew abandoned their posts when it became clear their boat was not going to evade the impending collision. Sliced in half by the subsequent collision, PT-509’s topside crews were thrown into the rough waters while those still below deck likely went down with the Stern section which sank immediately following the collision. Set aflame by spilled fuel, PT-509’s bow offered no refuge for any crew that may have survived the ramming and by the time it washed ashore on Jersey all of PT-509’s 16 crew had perished.

Located by a local diver in the 1970’s, PT-509’s wreck consists mainly of her three massive Packard W-14 M2500 engines, her bow gun and various metal fittings, some of which were salvaged and are now on display at the Jersey Maritime Museum. As the surmised grave for several of her crew, PT-509’s wreck is considered a war grave and the removal of further artifacts is illegal.

For her actions on the date of her loss, USS PT-509 received her second and final Battle Star for World War Two service.

www.navsource.org/archives/12/05509.htm
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   49°11'0"N   2°15'0"W

Comments

  • There was one survivor, Paige, who was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans.
  • The one survivor was John Page, who went on to become an executive for CBS Television in N.Y.C. He was my Wife's Uncle and was a wonderful man. I had quite a discussion with him about his German captors. He had 37 wounds and explained that they truly saved his life by performing several different surgeries on various part of his body, . he explained that it was very painful because they didn't use any antiseptics. My wife's Aunt first received a telegram from President Roosevelt that John was killed in action and about a year later received a telegram that he was being held Prisoner by the Germans. The story you posted is not accurate either. The 509 actually rammed one of the German mine sweeper's and lodged itself into the side of the enemy ship. John was hoisted aboard and saved. You can get the story by googling the story of the PT509. I have the painting of the PT509 hanging at my home.
  • the captain of the 509 was my cousin Lt Harry Crist of Pitman NJ .The date of the attack was August 9 1944. Robert E Sickel .sickelsae@yahoo.com
  • My father's mother's brother was a gunners mate on PT-509. Charles Kornak. Through a chance and bizarre coincidence and encounter with a person in New London, CT, I now have in my possession one of Lt. Crist's tunics. There is a video that was made called The Last Patrol about PT-509. I have never found a copy but perhaps it is on youtube. I also was in touch with the next door neighbor of Mr. Page at one time about 20 years ago. Also, I have been in touch with the son of a sailor that was on PT-507, another boat in the encounter. IIRC, his dad later became a professional diver and actually dived on the wreck. There is a memorial on the island for the crew.
  • The video used to be sold in Fall River MA at the battleship Massachusetts museum, where there are 2 PT boats on display as well. The PT boats organization sold it too. My father was on PT-503 which was also involved in the action that night.
  • Hi Robert I will be writing up the history of the Squadron in remembrance of the 75th anniversary of the action and we will be holding a ceremony on the 11th August on the island of Jersey. May I contact you as I would like to write about Lt harry Crist.
  • Dear Christian I wondered if I could contact you in relation to Charles Komak and any other details you may have ion relation to the PT 509. I will be writing up the history of the action and holding a ceremony of remembrance on the island of Jersey on 11th August 2019. Thank you Alex Fearn acfearn@gmail.com
  • Correction: The survivor was PAGE, John L., RdM3/c.
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This article was last modified 6 years ago