Evening star., 1945-12-17
Ten PT Boats
Battle Jap
Bomber Here
Potomac River Display
Is Part Of Nays
Victory Loon Show

anese in the early stages OF the
war and cosI them hundreds Of
vessels was to be demonstrated by
10 PIT boats on the Potomac River
today as part of the Salute to the
Navy" Victory loan show.
The mahogany speedsters are
waging two-hour mock war end
ing at 2 pm. Planes from the
Anacostia Air Station are staging
a strafing demonstration on the
river and the Navy's air-sea rescue
was to be enacted as part
of today's program saluting the
Navy for its part in winning the
war and promoting bond sales in
the Victory loan.
A captured Japanese Jill tor
pedo bomber will simulate strafing
and bombing the n1aneuvering PTS
and Navy blimps and helicopters
will 60 through their PAGES.
E Sales Increase.
Meanwhile, E-Bond sales Of $780,
600, reported today, brought the total
up to $22, zoe, 900, or 1922 per cent Of
the $27 100000 quota. Sales Of all
individual issues stood at $5O, 200, 900,
or 119.5 per cent Of the $4,000, 900
quota as of the close of business
Saturday.
Corporation sales were up 5000 900
to $86 900 900, or 1898 per cent of
the $43, ,000, 900 quota. Total sales rose
5000, 900 to $136,100, 900, or 1901 per
cent Of the $85 .0O0, 900 quota.
On hand to greet the public today
at the Coast Guard Dock, $50 Maine
avenue S.W., where the boats will
be based until the show ends
Wednesday. were Comdr. John T.
Bulkeley, Congressional Medal of
Honor winner who commanded the
famed Torpedo Boat Squadron dur
ing the Philippines Battle; 1t.
Comdr. Robert Montgomery and
Donna Reed, motion picture stars
of the picture, They Were Ex-
pendable," which has its premiere
at the Capitol Theater Wednesday
night, and 1t. Comdr. Iliff Rich
ardson.
Carried Blood PIasma.
The PIT boats are the most heavily
armed craft of their size in ex-
istence. Besides being used as
fighter craft the PTS rushed blood
plasma from England to the French
coast during the Normandy inva-
sion to save the lives of wounded
soldiers. PTS also were used ex-
tensively to scout landing posi-
tions for invading forces, landing
of reconnaissance parties and as
support for landing parties.
Navy men estimate that the num-
Der of enemy craft sunk during the
war by these vessels is in the thou
sands, ranging from battleships to
lighters and barges.
PTS are capable Of between 40
and As knots an hour and are
manned by a crew of IL or IL men
and three officers. When the PTS
ran out of enemy shipping as the
Pacific war moved out Of the con-
gested Solomons, the torpedo equip
ment was stripped out of most PTS
and replaced with antiaircraft guns
The public is invited to view the
squadron daily between II am. and
S pm. until Wednesday.
Hundreds View Exhibit.
Hundreds of Washingtonians
braved the cold yesterday to greet
the opening Of the four-day exhibit
at lexington Yards, where the
blue" and gold" trains, with three
mobile truck units, were on display.
The trains and trucks carry every
conceivable type of Navy and enemy
equipment, including radar, bombs,
shells, torpedos, amphibian tractors,
naval guns, diving equipment and
other types of fighting equipment
The three mobile units will be on
exhibit on F street between Four
teenth and Fifteenth streets NV.
today and tomorrow. The BOBBY
trap display, in addition, will be
on. view on Constitution avenue op-
posite the Navy Department, on
Wednesday.
The Salute to the Navy" opened
officially yesterday at 2 pm. with
radio speeches at lexington Yards
by Undersecretary of Treasury DAN
lei w. Bell and Assistant Secretary
Of Navy John L. Sullivan. Aviation
Machinist's Mate 1ic Platter T. Ged-
ney, 26, Of 1915 Otis street NE. was
awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross for gallantry in action at the