USS Raton SS 270
The USS Raton SS 270 was a Gato-class submarine that was launched on January 24th, 1943 from the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company out of Manitowoc, Wisconsin and was sponsored by a Mrs. C. C. West. The submarine was commissioned on July 13th, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander J. W. Davis. The submarine was finally ready for action and headed south to the Canal Zone around the Panama Canal for further operational training before transiting on September 19th, 1943. She sailed through the Pacific south to Brisbane, Australia where she arrived on October 16th to join the Submarine Force of the 7th Fleet as her newest unit.
She departed Brisbane, Australia heading towards the Solomon Islands embarking on her first war patrol on November 20th. While in that region between the Bismarck Archipelago and New Guinea the Raton was patrolling the waters just west of Massau on November 24th when she encountered two Japanese Cargo ships along with two destroyers and a sea plane for observational protection. The Raton slowly and silently hunted the enemy convoy until later that night when she engaged the Japanese ships firing multiple torpedoes that heavily damaged the center of the group managing to sink one of the freighters, but countermeasures from the Japanese escorts prevented further attack from the Raton. On November 28th she sighted five cargo ships with two escorts and prepared for immediate attack. In a submerged attack she sank two of the cargo vessels. She then returned to New Guinea for refueling and refitting.
She departed December 11th, 1944 embarking on her second war patrol which lasted until January 25th where she operated mainly out of the Celebes Sea just northwest of Faland Island along the Palau shipping lanes. Following refitting at Fremantle, Australia she headed out to the South China and Java Seas where she was able to sink two Japanese enemy warships. During the time from February 18th, 1944 until July 23rd, 1945 the USS Raton conducted a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth war patrol which carried her from the Philippines and the Yellow Sea to Hong Kong, China and back to Tokyo, Japan. The USS Raton SS 270 was officially decommissioned and struck from the naval registry on June 28th, 1969. She received six battle stars for World War II service.
The USS Raton SS 270 and her crew were honorable and brave throughout conflicts, but asbestos was used frequently for the insulation of piping systems and hull constructions. Therefore, it could be found nearly anywhere in submarine constructions, particularly in naval vessels. Those who have worked around asbestos materials aboard naval submarines have been exposed to asbestos and suffered the respiratory consequences of exposure. If you have worked aboard the USS Raton SS 270 and think you may have been exposed to asbestos, it is important you tell your physician about this. Respiratory complications, including mesothelioma, a rare but very serious form of asbestos cancer, have been conclusively and directly linked to asbestos exposure.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
