Kete file photo [12414]

Kete

CountryUnited States
Ship ClassBalao-class Submarine
Hull NumberSS-369
BuilderManitowoc Shipbuilding Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States
Laid Down25 Oct 1943
Launched9 Apr 1944
Commissioned31 Jul 1944
Sunk20 Mar 1945
Displacement1,526 tons standard; 2,460 tons submerged
Length312 feet
Beam27 feet
Draft17 feet
MachineryFour General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines (5,400shp), four high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears (2,740shp), two 126-cell Sargo batteries, two screws
Speed20 knots
Range11,000nm at 10 knots on surfce, 48 hours at 2 knots submerged
Crew80
Armament6x533mm forward torpedo tubes, 4x533mm aft torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1x126mm 25cal deck gun
Submerged Speed8.75 knots

Contributor:

ww2dbaseCommissioned in Jul 1944, USS Kete arrived at Panama in Sep and conducted training operations with United States Navy Submarine Squadron 3 until 28 Sep when she set sail for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States. Her two war patrols were spent in the East China Sea and off Okinawa, Japan, during the second of which she sank three transports totaling 6,881 tons during the night of 9 to 10 Mar 1945. On 19 Mar, she acknowledged an order to end her second war patrol, and on the following day she sent in a weather report somewhere south of Colnett Strait in the northern Ryukyu Islands, Japan. That would prove to be her last message. She was presumed lost in mid Apr.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Apr 2011

Submarine Kete (SS-369) Interactive Map

Photographs

Launching of submarine Kete, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States, 9 Apr 1944Close-up of USS KeteUSS Kete underway in Lake Michigan, United States, Aug 1944USS Kete, circa mid-1944
See all 5 photographs of Submarine Kete (SS-369)

Kete Operational Timeline

25 Oct 1943 Submarine Kete was laid down.
9 Apr 1944 Submarine Kete was launched, sponsored by Mrs. E. S. Hutchinson.
31 Jul 1944 USS Kete was commissioned into service with Commander R. L. Rutter in command.
20 Aug 1944 USS Kete departed Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States.
5 Sep 1944 USS Kete arrived at the Panama Canal Zone.
28 Sep 1944 USS Kete departed the Panama Canal Zone.
15 Oct 1944 USS Kete arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
31 Oct 1944 USS Kete departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her first war patrol.
4 Nov 1944 USS Kete refueled at Midway.
15 Nov 1944 USS Kete reached her patrol area in the East China Sea.
19 Nov 1944 USS Kete departed East China Sea due to heavy weather and malfunctioning bow planes.
24 Nov 1944 USS Kete arrived at Saipan, Mariana Islands.
24 Dec 1944 USS Kete departed Saipan, Mariana Islands, resuming her first war patrol.
28 Dec 1944 USS Kete arrived north of Okinawa, Japan.
1 Jan 1945 USS Kete began lifeguard duty in the Ryukyu Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
27 Jan 1945 USS Kete completed lifeguard duty off Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
30 Jan 1945 USS Kete arrived at Guam, Mariana Islands, ending her first war patrol.
1 Mar 1945 USS Kete departed Guam, Mariana Islands for her second war patrol.
9 Mar 1945 USS Kete attacked a Japanese convoy off Ryukyu Islands, Japan during the night of 9-10 Mar 1945, sinking three transports.
14 Mar 1945 USS Kete attacked a Japanese cable-laying ship off Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
19 Mar 1945 USS Kete was ordered to depart Ryukyu Islands area for refueling at Midway, then to sail on to Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
20 Mar 1945 USS Kete sent a weather report south of Colnett Strait in the northern Ryukyu Islands, Japan, then was never heard again.
16 Apr 1945 USS Kete was presumed lost.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
13 Nov 2012 03:32:20 PM

My great-great Uncle Mark O'Connor (electrician's mate 3rd class) was on that sub. Ive benn doing alot of research for a project lately

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Submarine Kete (SS-369) Photo Gallery
Launching of submarine Kete, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States, 9 Apr 1944
See all 5 photographs of Submarine Kete (SS-369)


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