USS Kete

1. Her fate Sunk By USN PBY Plane and HMCS Oakville 8-27-42 · U-162 Sunk By HM S EM2 MoMM3 GM3 Bkr1 MoMM3 MoMM2 S1 F1 CSM MoMM2 S1 SC2 S1 MoMM1 MoMM1 CBM EM3 MoMM1 S1 MoMM3 MoMM2 QM3 S1 LT GM1 QM3 MoMM2 EM1 CPhM EM2 LT-XO MoMM1 CRM S1 GM3 TM2 F1 CEM TM2 TM2 LT TM1 RT2 U-2s, UFOs, and Operation Blue Book · U-94 Sunk By USN PBY Plane and HMCS Oakville 8-27-42 · U-162 Sunk By HM Ships Pathfinder, Vimy, and Quentin 9-3-42 · U-210 Sunk By HMCS Assiniboine 7-6-42 · U-352 Sunk By U.

Departing Guam on 1 March 1945, Kete (Lieutenant Commander Edward Ackerman) headed for her second patrol in the vicinity of the Nansei Shoto (island chain). In addition to performing a normal patrol, Kete had orders to submit special weather reports, and to carry out rescue service during an air strike by carrier based planes.

On the night of 10 March 1945, Kete reported having sunk three medium sized freighters on the previous night. She reported on the night of 14 March that she had fired four torpedoes which missed a small enemy cable laying vessel, and that she had only three torpedoes remaining aboard. In view of the small number of torpedoes left, Kete was directed to depart her area on 20 March, and proceed to Pearl Harbor for refit, stopping at Midway enroute for fuel. On 19 March, she acknowledged receipt of these orders. On 20 March she sent in a special weather report from position latitude 29°-38'N, longitude 130°-02'E. This was the last message received from her. At normal cruising speed she should have arrived at Midway about 31 March 1945. When she was neither sighted nor heard from by 16 April 1945, she was reported as presumed lost.

Japanese information concerning antisubmarine attacks gained since the end of the war gives no positive evidence to what happened to Kete; none of the attacks on U.S. submarines occurring within the period from 20 March to 31 March 1945, was made in a position in which Kete was likely to be.

There were a few minelines in the Nansei Shoto Chain, but since Kete was already east of the islands at the time of her last message on 20 March and was heading home, loss through a mine is considered highly improbable. It is now known that a number of enemy submarines were in the area through which Kete was required to pass enroute to Midway. RO-41 was sunk east of Okinawa by a U.S. destroyer on 23 March 1945, and two other Japanese submarines were sunk southeast of Okinawa near this date. Conditions attendant to Kete's loss suggest the likelihood that one of these submarines might have torpedoed and sunk her and been unable to report the attack before being sunk. Thus, Kete must be considered probably a loss due to an unreported enemy attack. She is credited with sending three medium freighters, totaling 12,000 tons, to the bottom on this last patrol. During her first patrol, conducted in the East China Sea, Kete encountered no enemy targets.

Abts, Le Roy A. Ackerman, E. Adams, John C., Jr. Apking, John D. Bergadine, Donald L. Blodgett, Leonard E. Braniger, Francis W. Brooks, Carl Burnside, W.H., Jr. Callahan, Perry C. Cobrin, Bernard Cole, Hugh M. Cooper, Edward Crowley, Robert W. Crutchfield, C.R., Jr. Dawson, William H. Deininger, Frederick R. Derrah, Harold W. Deitrich, Helmut O. Dortche, Calvin F. Drake, K.L. Dul, Willis Efferson, Manuel L. Egen, Donald P. Fenton, D.G. French, Hugh Friesen, Ben Fuller, Robert S. Glynn, John F., Jr. Griswold, Fred J. Gunzinger, Joseph H. Gwinn, Elmer E., Jr. Haag, Bernard H. Hart, Robert A. Hartbank, Glenn E. Hayden, Paul O. Henderson, Earl Hines, James L. Holshouser, James R. Hooper, Stanton L. Katz, Abraham J. Kelly, Norbert W. Kensler, Elmer N. Kotelman, Walter, E.

EM1 LCDR LTJG FC3 MoMM3 S1 CMoMM QM2 LTJG F1 EM3 RM3 EM2 RM2 LTJG Ck3 F1 Y1 CCS StM1 LT TM3 S1 S1 LTJG CMoMM CMoMM F1 S1 S1 RT1 EM3 ENS S1 MoMM3 TM1 Cox TM2 CTM RM3 EM2 EM3 TM3 RM3

Kraut, Richard P. Lasiter, Jack L. Litzenburger, Frank Jr. Logsdon, Earl Lowery, Billie B. Lynn, Charles W., Jr. Malko, Glenn R. Marisco, Anthony T. Martini, Frank McLendon, Bernard E. Messenger, Grant R. Moccabee, Samual A. Moore, Charlton L. Morrison, Henry F. Newton, Archie V. O'Brien, Joseph A. O'Connor, Mark A. Page, George T. Peterson, Clair, Jr. Piper, I. Victor Price, Glenn O. Pushee, Donald C. Racer, Robert R. Reimers, F.F. Richards, Francis A. Schemm, George J. Schenavar, Maxium D. Schumacher, Paul F. Simpson, Oliver H. Snyder, James I. Spikes, R.H. Starr, Jacob G., Jr. Thomas, French L., Jr. Thompson, Gordon R. Thorn, Keith Van Dam, Peter C. Villalba, Salomon H. Waggoner, James S. Wallick, Russell A. Walling, Floyd Stewart Westphall, J.A. Wilson, Gordon W. Woodward, Galen I.

EM2 MoMM3 GM3 Bkr1 MoMM3 MoMM2 S1 F1 CSM MoMM2 S1 SC2 S1 MoMM1 MoMM1 CBM EM3 MoMM1 S1 MoMM3 MoMM2 QM3 S1 LT GM1 QM3 MoMM2 EM1 CPhM EM2 LT-XO MoMM1 CRM S1 GM3 TM2 F1 CEM TM2 TM2 LT TM1 RT2

U.S.S. Kete (SS-369) | Name Rate Name Rate | Abts, Le Roy A. Ackerman, E. Adams, John C., Jr. Apking, John D. Bergadine, Donald L. Blodgett, Leonard E. Braniger, Francis W. Brooks, Carl Burnside, W.H., Jr. Callahan, Perry C. Cobrin, Bernard Cole, Hugh M. Cooper, Edward Crowley, Robert W. Crutchfield, C.R., Jr. Dawson, William H. Deininger, Frederick R. Derrah, Harold W. Deitrich

U.S.S. Kete (SS-369) | Name Rate Name Rate | Abts, Le Roy A. Ackerman, E. Adams, John C., Jr. Apking, John D. Bergadine, Donald L. Blodgett, Leonard E. Braniger, Francis W. Brooks, Carl Burnside, W.H., Jr. Callahan, Perry C. Cobrin, Bernard Cole, Hugh M. Cooper, Edward Crowley, Robert W. Crutchfield, C.R., Jr. Dawson, William H. Deininger, Frederick R. Derrah, Harold W. Deitrich

Held by NeuraWeb Global Inc. and kept permanently. Her association may claim this record and maintain it.