USS Rasher SS 269
The USS Rasher SS 269 was a Gato-class submarine that was launched on December 20th, 1942 from the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company out of Manitowoc, Wisconsin and was sponsored by a Mrs. G. C. Weaver. The submarine was commissioned on June 8th, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander E. S. Hutchinson. Following her shakedown trials in Lake Michigan the submarine was placed into a floating dry dock and towed down the Mississippi River south to New Orleans, Louisiana where she was placed into the open ocean for the first time. The Rasher then trained within the Bay of Panama before she transited the Panama Canal and sailed out into the Pacific Ocean departing from Balboa on August 8th, 1943 driving towards her final destination and new home base of operations at Brisbane, Australia where she arrived on September 11th.
She embarked on her first ever war patrol which began of September 24th and took through the Makassar Strait and towards the Celebes Sea where she had been able to successfully sink an enemy passenger cargo ship in a submerged attack at dawn on the morning of October 9th. Four days later she encountered a large convoy group including four cargo ships being escorted by two destroyers and a seaplane. She engaged the group firing multiple torpedoes and was able to sink one of the large enemy freighters before being forced into a dive to evade their counterattack. She operated off the coast of Borneo until she returned to Fremantle, Australia ending her patrol on November 24th.
The Rasher began her second war patrol on December 19th, 1943 after being ordered to the deadly South China Sea where she was to conduct search and destroy missions throughout the region. She operated a third, fourth, fifth and sixth war patrol within the same area of the central Pacific where she received an infamous reputation for being extremely aggressive and a formidable opponent to the enemy. From the beginning of her second war patrol until the end of her sixth on March 16th, 1945 she had conducted missions and offensives with just that same reputation until the Japanese surrendered on August 15th, 1945. She then sailed home to the mainland for deactivation and overhaul. The USS Rasher SS 269 was decommissioned on May 26th, 1967 and received seven battle stars for World War II service.
The USS Rasher SS 269 had a long history, but one of the most difficult aspects of that history is that former crew members may now have to face the fact that the submarine contained products made from asbestos. These products can be very hazardous to the respiratory health of anyone who is exposed to them. Asbestos is a toxic substance that is comprised of tiny fibers that are easy and dangerous to inhale. It can lead to mesothelioma cancer and other diseases, so anyone who has been exposed to this deadly asbestos should seek immediate medical evaluation from a cancer specialist to determine whether or not they are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma cancer.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
