Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Submarine

USS Raton

Gato-class diesel-electric submarine

USS Raton
Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate USS_Raton; https://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08270.htm Raton (SS-270) probably underway during trials in Lake Michigan, 1 July 1943. USN Photo courtesy of http://ussubvetsofworldwarii.org .

Service

  1. United States Navy13 July 1943 — 28 June 1969782 days of the war
Gato-class diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Raton
Builder
Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Laid down
29 May 1942
Launched
24 January 1943
Commissioned
13 July 1943
Decommissioned
11 March 1949
Recommissioned
21 September 1953
Struck
28 June 1969
Fate
Sold for scrap 12 October 1973 (1973)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
1,525 long tons (1,549 t)
Displacement, submerged
2,424 long tons (2,463 t)
Length
94.79 m (311 ft)
Beam
8.23 m (27 ft)
Draught
5.18 m (17 ft)
Speed
21 knots (38.9 km/h, 24.2 mph)
Range
10,799 nmi (20,000 km)
Complement
60
Main gun
76 mm (3 in)

USS Raton was a Gato-class diesel-electric submarine, operated by the United States Navy. Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin laid her keel on 29 May 1942. Launched on 24 January 1943, she entered service on 13 July 1943.

76 ships of the class were built. The class followed the Mackerel-class submarine and was succeeded by the Balao-class submarine.

The boat displaced 1,525 long tons surfaced and 2,424 long tons submerged. She measured 94.8 m (311 ft) long with a beam of 8.2 m (27 ft). Her designed speed was 21 knots, and she carried a complement of 60. Her main battery was of 76 mm (3.0 in) calibre.

She was in commission for 782 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 11 March 1949. She recommissioned on 21 September 1953. She was struck from the register on 28 June 1969.

She was broken up for scrap on 12 October 1973.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 4 × Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-⅛ 9-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators
  • 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries
  • 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears
  • two propellers
  • 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced
  • 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Armament
  • 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 6 forward, 4 aft
  • 24 torpedoes
  • 1 × 3-inch (76 mm) / 50 caliber deck gun
  • Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

Sister ships

51 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Raton on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons