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Miscellaneous - PAGE 5
During a battle with Japanese destroyers - on the night of January 10, PT 43 was damaged by shells from destroyer Tokitsukaze, forcing the crew to abandon ship. As the helpless sailors floundered about in the sea, the boat continued running until it beached upon the Japanese-held Guadalcanal shore. Early the next morning, Japanese soldiers were seen inspecting the boat, so a New Zealand corvette was called in to hasten 43's demise; the results of the Royal New Zealand Navy's handiwork can be seen below. These photgraphs show a team from MTB Flotilla One led by Commander Allen Calvert, the flotilla CO, inspecting the wreck of the 43 to see if the boat was salvagable...but as can be seen, that was not possible. These photos were taken in February 1943, after the Japanese had been run off Guadalcanal.
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