USS Peto SS 265
The USS Peto SS 265 was a Gato-class submarine that was launched on April 30th, 1942 from the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and was sponsored by a Mrs. E. A. Lofquist. The submarine was commissioned on November 21st, 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Commander William T. Nelson. Following her shakedown trials and operational training she as finally prepped and ready so she was then placed into a floating dry dock and towed from the Great Lakes down south traveling along the Mississippi River all the way to New Orleans, Louisiana where she was set out into the open ocean. She then transited the Panama Canal and moved west out into the deep Pacific Ocean en route to her new base of Brisbane, Australia where she arrived on March 14th, 1943.
The submarine then departed Brisbane embarking on her first war patrol on April 2nd and while she was traveling along the equator near the Truk-Kavieng route, a large enemy convoy came into view moving southbound on the morning of April 17th consisting of two destroyers, two medium freighters and one small auxiliary ship. Just before the Peto was to commence her attack she was spotted by the enemy convoy and was forced to dive and had to evade the multiple depth charges dropped from above her. On the night of May 5th, she returned to make an attack using only sound and radar firing three torpedoes at her intended target with one possible hit. After her patrol off Cape Oxford had completed, she sailed for Brisbane on May 20th.
During her third patrol, she performed reconnaissance of the waters surrounding the Admiralty Islands and had no enemy contacts during this patrol which terminated upon returning to Brisbane, Australia on October 21st. On December 19th, she took part in landing Marines on the Boang Island, Solomon before terminating her fourth patrol and heading back to Brisbane on January 7th. She continued on in her service proving to be invaluable to American forces.
From June of 1943 to September of 1945 the USS Peto SS 265 conducted a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth war patrol which brought her all throughout the Pacific theatre of war. She was decommissioned for the last time on June 25th, 1946 and was officially struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on August 1st, 1960. The USS Peto SS 265 was awarded eight battle stars for her service during World War II.
The USS Peto SS 265 was built during a period when the dangers of asbestos contamination were not well known. Unfortunately, the men who worked with the insulation material around piping areas within the submarine itself may be at higher risk for developing respiratory problems and deadly diseases like mesothelioma cancer. Any crewmember who served aboard the USS Peto SS 265 who is at all concerned they may have been exposed to asbestos should consult a medical doctor for further respiratory testing.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
