View source for USS Raton

{{short description|Submarine of the United States}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[Image:USS Raton;0827014.jpg|300px|''Raton'' (SS-270) during trials in Lake Michigan, 1 July 1943.]]
|Ship caption=USS ''Raton'' (SS-270) during [[Sea trials|trials]] on [[Lake Michigan]] on 1&nbsp;July&nbsp;1943.
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1969}}
|Ship name=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company]], {{nowrap|[[Manitowoc, Wisconsin]]<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates">{{cite book
  | last = Friedman
  | first = Norman
  | title = U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History
  | publisher = [[United States Naval Institute]]
  | year = 1995
  | location = [[Annapolis, Maryland]]
  | pages = 285–304
  | isbn = 1-55750-263-3 }}</ref>}}
|Ship laid down=29 May 1942<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship launched=24 January 1943<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship sponsor= Mrs. C. C. West
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=13 July 1943<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship decommissioned=11 March 1949<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship recommissioned=21 September 1953<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship decommissioned=28 June 1969<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=28 June 1969<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship fate=Sold for scrap 12 October 1973<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Gato class submarine|''Gato''-class]] [[diesel-electric]] [[submarine]]<ref name="Register">{{cite book
  | last = Bauer
  | first = K. Jack
  |author2=Roberts, Stephen S.
   | title = Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants
  | publisher = Greenwood Press
  | year = 1991
  | location = [[Westport, Connecticut]]
  | pages = 271–273
  | isbn = 0-313-26202-0 }}</ref>
|Ship displacement=*1,525&nbsp;[[long ton|ton]]s (1,549&nbsp;[[tonne|t]]) surfaced<ref name="Register"/>
*2,424&nbsp;tons (2,460&nbsp;t) submerged<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship length={{convert|311|ft|9|in|abbr=on}}<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship beam={{convert|27|ft|3|in|abbr=on}}<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship draft={{convert|17|ft|0|in|abbr=on}} maximum<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship propulsion={{Fleet-boat-propulsion-early-FM-4-GE}}
|Ship speed=*21 knots (39 km/h) surfaced<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs">''U.S. Submarines Through 1945'' pp. 305–311</ref>
*{{convert|9|kn|km/h}} submerged<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship range=11,000&nbsp;[[nautical mile|NM]] (20,000&nbsp;km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship endurance=*48 hours at {{convert|2|kn|km/h|0}} submerged<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
*75 days on patrol
|Ship test depth={{convert|300|ft|m|-1|abbr=on}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship complement=6 officers, 54 enlisted<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament={{Fleet-boat-armament-3-inch}}
}}
|}

'''USS ''Raton'' (SS/SSR/AGSS-270)''', a {{sclass|Gato|submarine}}, was a ship of the [[United States Navy]] named for the [[raton (fish)|raton]], a [[Polynemid|polynemoid]] fish inhabiting [[Subtropics|semitropical]] waters off the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] coast of the [[Americas]].

==Construction and commissioning==
A [[fleet submarine]], ''Raton'' was [[Keel-laying|laid down]] on 29 May 1942 by the [[Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company]] at [[Manitowoc, Wisconsin|Manitowoc]], [[Wisconsin]]. She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 24 January 1943, sponsored by Mrs. C.&nbsp;C. West, and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 13 July 1943.

==Service history==
===World War II===
====July–October 1943====
Following training in [[Lake Michigan]], ''Raton'' moved to [[Coco Solo, Panama|Coco Solo]] in the [[Panama Canal Zone]] for additional training. She was off Coco Solo on 11 August 1943 when the [[merchant ship]] {{SS|Hiram Maxim}}′s [[United States Navy Armed Guard]] mistakenly opened fire on her, firing one {{convert|5|in|mm|0|adj=on}} and two {{convert|3|in|mm|1|adj=on}} rounds. ''Raton'' immediately [[Crash dive|crash-dived]] and sustained no damage.<ref>Hinman & Campbell, pp. 176–177.</ref>

''Raton'' departed [[Panama]] for the [[South West Pacific Area (command)|South West Pacific Area]] on 19 September 1943, and upon arriving at [[Brisbane]], [[Australia]], on 16 October 1943, joined Submarine Force, [[United States Seventh Fleet]].

==== First war patrol, November – December 1943 ====

From Brisbane, ''Raton'' headed for [[Tulagi]] in the [[Solomon Islands (archipelago)|Solomon Islands]] for her first war patrol  which she conducted from 20 November to 6 December 1943 — in the [[Bismarck Archipelago]]–Solomons–[[New Guinea]] area. On 24 November 1943, while patrolling west of [[Massau]], ''Raton'' sighted a Japanese [[convoy]] of two [[cargo ship]]s escorted by two [[destroyer]]s and a [[Nakajima A6M2-N]] ([[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft|Allied reporting name]] "Rufe") [[floatplane]]. She trailed the convoy and that night made a [[torpedo]] attack, sinking the cargo ship ''Onoe Maru''. Displaying excellent [[antisubmarine warfare]] proficiency, the two destroyers thwarted four attempts ''Raton'' made to sink the remaining cargo ship.

On 28 November 1943, ''Raton'' sighted a [[Rabaul]]-bound Japanese convoy of five cargo ships accompanied by two escorts. In a submerged attack, ''Raton'' sank two of the cargo ships, ''Hokko Maru'' and ''Yuri Maru''. After a severe pounding by the escorts, ''Raton'' escaped, but she remained in the area to renew her attack on the convoy. In a night attack, she heavily damaged a third cargo ship, then called for assistance, as her torpedoes were nearly expended. The submarine {{USS|Gato|SS-212}} arrived and joined the attack, only to be attacked by the two Japanese destroyers. ''Raton'' surfaced and raced at [[flank speed]] to draw the escorts away from ''Gato'' and succeeded, allowing ''Gato'' to sink the cargo ship ''Columbia Maru''. ''Raton'' concluded her patrol with her return to [[Milne Bay]], New Guinea, for rest and refit there alongside the [[submarine tender]] {{USS|Fulton|AS-11}}.

==== Second and third war patrols, December 1943–April 1944 ====

''Raton'' departed Milne Bay on her second war patrol— conducted from 11 December 1943 to 25 January 1944 — bound for the [[Mindanao]]–[[Sulawesi|Celebes]]–[[Halmahera]] area. On 24 December 1943, she attacked a Japanese convoy of four [[merchant ship]]s and two destroyers in [[Morotai Strait]], sinking the merchant ship ''Heiwa Maru'' and damaging an [[auxiliary aircraft carrier]].

On 2 January 1944, ''Raton'' encountered two Japanese [[Tanker (ship)|tanker]]s escorted by a {{sclass|Fubuki|destroyer}} northwest of [[Faland Island]] on the [[Palau]] shipping lane. She scored hits on one tanker, but then the Japanese escorts interrupted her attack. ''Raton'' departed the patrol area on 19 January 1944 and reached [[Fremantle]], Australia, on 25 January 1944 for refit by the submarine tender {{USS|Pelias|AS-14}}.

''Raton'' conducted her third war patrol from 18 February to 14 April in the [[Java Sea]], the [[Karimata Strait]], and the [[South China Sea]]. The submarine {{USS|Rasher|SS-269|2}} sank the only two ships ''Raton'' contacted during the patrol.

==== Fourth war patrol, May–June 1944 ====

''Raton''′s fourth patrol began on 19 May when she got underway for a patrol area in the [[South China Sea]] and [[Java Sea]], which provided good hunting. On 23 May 1944, she intercepted two small intercoastal cargo ships north of the [[Tambelan Islands]] and sank both with her [[deck gun]]. That same evening, she contacted the Japanese fast [[Hi convoys|convoy Hi-63]], which consisted of three [[Transport (ship)|transports]] and four destroyers. She sank the destroyer {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Iki||2}}, and damaged a transport.

On 27 May 1944, ''Raton''′s [[logbook]] reported:

<blockquote>"0615 ([[UTC+08:00|H]]) Ship shaken up considerably by either two underwater explosions or by striking submerged object. People in forward torpedo room thought we had struck something or had been struck by something."</blockquote>

This turned out to be two torpedoes fired by the submarine {{USS|Lapon|SS-260}}. ''Lapon'' was looking for a Japanese submarine passing through the area and mistook ''Raton'' for that submarine. ''Lapon''′s [[commanding officer]] checked fire on the second set of torpedoes realizing he was not shooting at an enemy submarine. Later [[Dry dock|dry-dock]] inspection of ''Raton'' showed dents where the torpedoes hit.  This is the only known [[friendly fire]] incident in World War II between two U.S. submarines.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ratonss270.com/ss270-shipmates-stories2.html |title=''Raton'' logbook quoted at ratonss270.com |access-date=20 January 2011 |archive-date=15 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715154916/http://www.ratonss270.com/ss270-shipmates-stories2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 28 May 1944, ''Raton'' sighted and tracked a [[Japanese Type L submarine]], but was unable to attack due to an unfavorable firing angle.

On 6 June 1944, a bright moonlit night allowed ''Raton'' to sight a large Japanese convoy of 11 ships with four destroyer-type escorts. Three hits from a spread of torpedoes ''Raton'' fired blew apart one [[frigate]], but ''Raton'' received a severe pounding from a prolonged [[depth charge]] attack before making her escape.

A [[Naval boarding|boarding]] party from ''Raton'' captured a small [[sailing vessel]] on 13 June 1944, taking 11 [[Prisoner-of-war|prisoners-of-war]] and [[scuttling]] the craft. On 17 June 1944, ''Raton'' sighted a small cargo ship, sinking it with one torpedo and rescuing nine survivors. ''Raton'' returned to Fremantle on 23 June 1944 for upkeep alongside the submarine tender {{USS|Orion|AS-18|2}}.

==== Fifth and sixth war patrols, July–December 1944 ====

''Raton''′s fifth war patrol, conducted from 18 July to 10 September 1944 with a patrol area in the South China Sea off [[Luzon]], gave her only one victory, a Japanese tanker left beached off [[Dasol Bay]],  in the [[Philippines]] on 4 August 1944.

''Raton'' had better luck on her sixth war patrol, which she began on 6 October 1944, again with a patrol area in the South China Sea. On the night of 18 October 1944, ''Raton'' slipped into the center of a nine-ship Japanese convoy for a surface attack. She fired both sets of [[torpedo tube]]s, her [[Bow (ship)|bow]] tubes at six overlapping targets and her [[stern]] tubes at a large cargo ship. Two merchant ships — ''Shiranesan Maru'' and ''Taikai Maru'' — sank, and another vessel was damaged. A final attack resulted in damage to another cargo ship. With her torpedo supply running low and a [[typhoon]] approaching, ''Raton'' pulled into [[Mios Woendi]] in the [[Schouten Islands]] for more fuel and torpedoes with which to finish the patrol.

Leaving Mios Woendi 27 October 1944, ''Raton'' encountered a Japanese [[task group]] of two [[heavy cruiser]]s and five escort vessels on 6 November 1944. In a submerged attack, she scored three hits on the [[Mogami-class cruiser|''Mogami''-class]] heavy cruiser {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Kumano||2}}, but did not put ''Kumano'' out of action.

On 11 November 1944, ''Raton'' and the submarine {{USS|Ray|SS-271}} attacked a four-ship Japanese convoy guarded by three escorts. In a surface action, ''Raton'' sank ''Unkai Maru'' and ''Kurasaki'' with four torpedoes. Then, both submarines fired torpedoes at the remaining [[auxiliary ship]]s  with unconfirmed results. With only four torpedoes remaining, ''Raton'' headed for the [[United States]], arriving at [[San Francisco]], [[California]], on 1 December 1944.

==== Seventh and eighth war patrols, April–July 1945 ====

On 13 March 1945, after an overhaul at [[Mare Island Naval Shipyard|Mare Island Navy Yard]] in [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]], [[California]], ''Raton'' headed west for [[Pearl Harbor]], [[HAwaii]], for refresher training. She departed for the [[Yellow Sea]] on 20 April 1945 to begin her seventh war patrol. On 2 May 1945, she blew up a loaded Japanese tanker, ''Toryu Maru'', in a night torpedo attack off [[China]]′ [[Shantung Peninsula]] despite gunfire from two Japanese escorts. That same day, ''Raton'' sank a medium-sized Japanese cargo ship, ''Rezikan Maru'', in a submerged torpedo approach. On 16 May 1945, she made a submerged attack on two Japanese transports, sinking the larger one, ''Eiju Maru''. ''Raton'' concluded the patrol with her arrival at [[Guam]] on 25 May 1945 for upkeep alongside the submarine tender {{USS|Proteus|AS-19}}.

''Raton'' departed Guam on 22 June 1945 for her final patrol of [[World War II]], tasked with lifeguard duty off [[Hong Kong]]. No [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] planes went down in the area, and she made no contact with Japanese forces. Arriving at [[Subic Bay]] in the Philippines on 23 July 1945 for upkeep, ''Raton'' was preparing for her next patrol when the war ended on 15 August 1945.

=== Post-World War II service, 1946–1948 ===

====1945–1949====
On 31 August 1945. ''Raton'' departed the Philippines for the United States, arriving at San Francisco in mid-September 1945. Following overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard, ''Raton'' transited the [[Panama Canal]], and arrived [[Naval Submarine Base New London]] in [[New London, Connecticut|New London]], [[Connecticut]], on 12 March 1946, where she was assigned to the [[United States Second Fleet]]. As the [[Cold War]] began, she spent the next 2½ years in training exercises in the North [[Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[Caribbean Sea]]. After being placed in [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] in the fall of 1948, ''Raton'' was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] at [[Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London]] on 11 March 1949.

==== Radar picket submarine (SSR-270), 1953–1959 ====

[[Image:USS Raton;0827015.jpg|thumb|300px|right|''Raton'' (SSR-270) as a [[radar picket]] submarine, c. 1953–60.]]
''Raton'' remained in the [[Atlantic Reserve Fleet]] at New London until July 1952, when she was [[Towing|towed]] to the [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]] in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], for conversion to a [[radar picket]] submarine. Accordingly redesignated '''SSR-270''' on 18 July 1952, she was recommissioned on 21 September 1953, [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] J.&nbsp;K. Wills in command. Departing Philadelphia on 8 December 1953, ''Raton'' underwent training for several months in the [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Virginia]], area, operating from [[Naval Station Norfolk]]. Ordered to the Pacific, she arrived at [[San Diego]], California, on 7 March 1954 via the Panama Canal.

''Raton'' spent the next year in local operations before departing San Diego on 11 May 1955 for a six-month deployment to the western Pacific as a unit of the [[United States Seventh Fleet]], her first post-World War II deployment to the Western Pacific. She returned to San Diego on 6 November 1955, and subsequently trained off the [[United States West Coast]]. She deployed to the western Pacific for her second post-World War II Seventh Fleet deployment on 13 May 1957. She returned to San Diego on 8 November 1957 and resumed training activities.

After overhaul at [[Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard]] in San Francisco from 7 July to 24 November 1958 and subsequent underway training, ''Raton'' made a third post-World War II deployment in the Seventh Fleet in the western Pacific from early March to mid-November 1959, participating in operations with forces of the [[Southeast Asia Treaty Organization]] (SEATO) and the [[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]]. In early 1960, ''Raton'' was engaged in local operations in the San Diego area, including evaluation of new [[sonar]] concepts and the training of [[Underwater Demolition Team]] personnel in covert [[reconnaissance]].

====Auxiliary research submarine (AGSS-270), 1960–1968 ====

On 1 July 1960, ''Raton'' was reclassified as an auxiliary submarine and redesignated '''AGSS-270'''. After a major overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard from January to April 1961, she headed west for her fourth post-World War II western Pacific deployment with the Seventh Fleet on 3 July 1961, returning to San Diego on 19 December 1961. She spent 1962 in fleet training operations off the U.S. West Coast, providing services for air, surface, and submarine forces. On 9 April 1962, it was reported that a [[kite]] had snagged on ''Raton'',<ref>''Submarine Snags a Kite'', San Mateo Times, 9 April 1962</ref><ref>St. Petersburg Independent, April 9, 1962, page 5-A; available at https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1962/05/19#:~:text=story%3Ahttp%3A//news.google.com/newspapers%3Fnid%3D955%26dat%3D19620409%26id%3DSWxIAAAAIBAJ%26sjid%3D8FYDAAAAIBAJ%26pg%3D4353%2C1711081.</ref> and this incident was referenced in the ''[[Peanuts]]'' comic strip of [http://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1962/05/19 19 May 1962], wherein it is implied that the kite had belonged to the long-suffering [[Charlie Brown]], whose problems with flying kites was a standard running gag of the strip.<ref>''The Peanuts'', May 19, 1962; available at https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1962/05/19.</ref>

''Raton''′s fifth post-World War II western Pacific deployment, from January to June 1963, included participation in two major [[anti-submarine warfare]] exercises with U.S. and SEATO forces. Following an overhaul period from November 1963 to early March 1964, ''Raton'' deployed again to the western Pacific from 6 July to 23 December 1964, where she operated with naval forces of [[Thailand]], the Philippines, and the [[Republic of China]], under the [[Military Assistance Program]].

''Raton'' engaged in local fleet and type operations in the San Diego area during 1965 and early 1966. In mid-April 1966, she got underwat for another tour of duty with the Seventh Fleet. While deployed, she exercised with SEATO naval units in Exercise Sea Imp. On 17 October 1966, she returned to San Diego.

''Raton'' spent 1967 in the San Diego area in local operations, conducting [[United States Naval Reserve]] training and undergoing a semiannual overhaul. On 20 and 21 May 1968, she served as a test ship to determine whether a small [[fleet tug]] could rescue men from a sunken submarine resting on the [[Seabed|ocean floor]]. ''Raton'' commenced her final western Pacific deployment 15 July 1968, arriving at [[Yokohama]], [[Japan]], on 7 August 1968. During her deployment, she provided training services to Seventh Fleet and SEATO units. She returned to San Diego on 20 December 1968.

==Decommissioning and disposal==
''Raton'' was decommissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register|Navy List]] on 28 June 1969. Her stripped hull was designated as a [[target ship]] for [[United States Pacific Fleet]] gunnery exercise. She was sold for scrapping on 10 December 1973.

==Honors and awards==
* {{ribbon devices|number=6|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] with six battle stars for [[World War II]] service
Medal]]
* {{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} [[Vietnam Service Medal]] with two battle stars for [[Vietnam War]] service<ref>https://goatlocker.org/resources/nav/1650.pdf “OpNavNote 1650 September 2002, Pg. 376”</ref>

== References ==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r3/raton.htm}}

===Bibliography===
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=hkupDwAAQBAJ&dq=LApon+raton&pg=PA181 Hinman, Charles R., and Douglas E. Campbell. ''The Submarine Has No Friends: Friendly Fire Incidents Involving U.S. Submarines During World War II''. Syneca Research Group, Inc., 2019.] {{ISBN|978-0-359-76906-3}}.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|USS Raton (SS-270)}}
*{{navsource|08/08270|Raton}}
 
{{The Manitowoc Company|state=autocollapse}}
{{Gato class submarine}}
{{August 1943 shipwrecks}}
{{May 1944 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raton (SS-270)}}
[[Category:Gato-class submarines]]
[[Category:World War II submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in August 1943]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in May 1944]]
[[Category:Friendly fire incidents of World War II]]