6. PT 109’s destruction was visible to other boats
Kennedy and his crew had mounted a 37 mm anti-tank gun in the bow of their boat, a modification made without authorization. Such modifications were common, as young commanders tried to give their commands greater punch against the enemy. Kennedy ordered Ensign Barney Ross to fire the anti-tank gun as he revved up the engines and attempted to turn the boat into a position from which it could launch a torpedo at the destroyer which appeared suddenly in the gloom. The destroyer loomed out of the darkness at high speed. Ross did not have time to get a shell into the breech of the gun. The bow of the onrushing destroyer crashed into the PT boat, sliced it in two, and continued on its way.
PT boats were fueled with aviation gasoline in 1943. The destroyer’s passing ignited the fuel, which exploded, sending aloft a fireball which reached 100 feet. Two men were killed in the explosion, two others were severely burned, and some of the crew were thrown into the sea. Kennedy ordered the remainder to abandon the ship. The stern section of the boat sank, the forward section remained afloat, though sinking slowly, and the sea itself was covered with flames. Two remaining PT boats saw the destruction of their comrades’ boat, launched another futile attack on the destroyer, and departed the area without searching for survivors from PT 109. Several were in the water and on the remains of the boat.