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The last time the USS Kete SS-369 was heard from was March 20, 1945 when she sent a weather report, it was only her second war patrol. Kete was a Balao Class submarine built in Wisconsin in 1944 and commissioned on July 31, 1944. Her first skipper was Commander Rutter, who scored no enemy ships on the first patrol and was replaced by Lt. Cmdr. Ackerman during the refit in early 1945. Ackerman claimed sinking 3 small freighters on Mar. 9 and failed in an attack on the 14th. This attack left the Kete with only three torpedoes and she began her return voyage to Pearl Harbor via Midway. She was expected at Midway around Mar. 31 but never arrived. Her loss is still a mystery, Japanese records captured after the war shed no light on her fate however, three Japanese submarines that were on patrol in the general area never returned and some surmise she could have come to grief courtesy of an enemy sub but, this is highly speculative at best. The Kete and all 87 men onboard were reported as overdue and presumed lost on Apr. 16, 1945. The boat and her crew are still lost for unknown reasons. |
© 2007 Michael W. Pocock MaritimeQuest.com |
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USS Kete SS-369 seen in August 1944.
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