USS Kete SS 369

The USS Kete SS 369 was a Balao-class submarine that was launched on April 9^th, 1944 from the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and was sponsored by a Mrs. E. S. Hutchinson. The newly constructed submarine was officially commissioned on July 31^st, 1944 under the leadership of Commander R. L. Rutter. Following her intense shakedown duty within the Great Lakes, she was towed down the Mississippi River on August 20^th all the way to New Orleans, Louisiana where she was introduced for the first time to the open ocean. She arrived to the waters of Panama on September 5^th and participated in operational exercises until she finally transited the Panama Canal on September 28^th and steamed west out into the Pacific Ocean and onward for her final destination of Pearl Harbor where she arrived on October 15^th.

She set out on her first war patrol on Halloween, October 31^st, 1944. She found herself refueling at Midway on November 4^th before heading out to her assigned patrol area of the East China Sea where she arrived on November 15^th and was forced to deal with dangerously violent weather that was interfering with her navigation. The Kete continued on and was ordered to provide lifeguard assistance off the central Ryukyu Islands from January 1^st until January 27^th, 1945 where she was charged with search and rescue missions in support of downed American pilots that had their aircraft shot down during the air strikes on the Ryukyu Islands. She was able to gather important weather data before sailing to Guam for refitting and refueling arriving on January 30^th.

The Kete began her second patrol when she departed Guam on March 1^st and sailed to the waters surrounding Okinawa to conduct reconnaissance in preparation for the U. S. invasion of the island. After cruising the waters successfully, she was scheduled to make a stop at Midway for refueling on March 20^th, 1945 and then to proceed onward to Pearl Harbor for refitting. On March 19^th, while traveling through the Colnett Strait, she sent in a weather report stating she’d be arriving on March 31^st. She was never seen or heard from again. The Kete was awarded one battle star for her service during World War II.

The USS Kete SS 368 and her crew served bravely and with great honor during their military careers yet sadly, the sailors faced a danger they were unaware of at the time. Their submarine had been constructed with asbestos used as an insulator around many of its pipes and installations. We now know that workers exposed to asbestos are at risk for the development of lung and breathing problems including a type of cancer called mesothelioma. Any crewmembers that have reason to believe they may have come in contact with asbestos while aboard the USS Kete SS 368 or any other submarine, ship or maritime vessel during that particular period in time should visit with a medical respiratory physician immediately and strongly discuss possibly beginning mesothelioma treatment.

Last modified: December 28, 2010.