USS Peto SS-265)

USS Peto was a United States Navy Gato-class submarine, who was awarded eight Battle Stars for her service during World War II. Her full complement was 60 sailors and she was 312 feet long. Peto was armed with 10 21-inch torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, one three-inch 50-caliber deck gun, and four machine guns. Her propulsion consisted of four V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators, two 126-cell batteries, four high-speed electric motors with reduction gears, and two propellers. Peto could endure 48 hours at tow knots if submerged and 75 days on patrol. Her top speed was 21 knots surfaced, and nine knots when submerged.

A Delayed Start and Close Calls

After her keel was laid down in 1941, Peto waited over a year before being commissioned, only to be decommissioned the following month. She was transported by barge from her home in Manitowoc to New Orleans, the first submarine to do so. After her recommissioning, fitting out and shakedown, she finally had her maiden voyage; she was directed to Brisbane, Australia via the Panama Canal. In April 1943, USS Peto received her first call to duty as war patrol near Truk-Rabaul. Shortly after arriving, she was attacked by a convoy destroyer and survived nine depth charges without incident. Two months later, Peto fired two torpedoes, breaking a small auxiliary in half before seriously damaging a destroyer with three torpedoes. Her next patrol in September found her near the Truk-Kavieng-Rabaul traffic route, where she had to crash dive to escape intense enemy gun power.

Skillful Arms Employment

Within weeks, however, while sailing in the vicinity of the Admiralty Islands, Peto scored her first victims; she sunk both the 4,930-ton Tonei Maru and the 4,980-ton Kinkasan Maru. In December, she repeated her success by sinking 2,345-ton Konei Maru before avoiding damage from reciprocal depth charging. Orders to transport a crew of Marines followed, but she resumed her efforts in February. That month, USS Peto struck an enemy vessel with a torpedo and then came to the rescue of sister ship USS Cero with two rounds from her deck gun at attacking escorts. After a stop to refuel, she sunk 4,369-ton Kayo Maru with six torpedo shots while avoiding their response of 13 depth charges. In June, Peto received major alterations at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, which delayed her next deployment until fall. As part of Task Group 17.13, she sailed into the Yellow Sea, where she witnessed an explosion and realized that it was the USS Barb. She thus shot ten torpedoes and sank the Tatsuaki Maru, while engulfing another enemy ship in flames. USS Peto set another ship, the Aisakasan Maru, on fire later in November, before blowing it up with another torpedo. In the same attack, Peto also sunk the 2,827-ton Chinkai Mara in less than five minutes. Before returning to Guam for a refit, she ended her mission with an attack on a coastal tanker. Her next tasks found her near Marcus Island in May, where she skillfully led friendly pilots to their targets and photographed enemy shore installations. Her life guarding capabilities allowed her to save two aviators from the downed Lexington (CV-16) and nine other pilots during just one day in July, and rescue a Royal Navy pilot in August. Before war hostilities ceased, Peto was responsible for one more strike and the sinking of a Japanese sampan. In 1946, Peto became part of the Atlantic Fleet and placed in reserve; her new port was in New London, Connecticut. Six years later, she became a Naval Reserve Training submarine, in service to the 8th Naval District. USS Peto was struck from the Navy List in August of 1960 and sold for scrapping three months later.

Within weeks, however, while sailing in the vicinity of the Admiralty Islands, Peto scored her first victims; she sunk both the 4,930-ton Tonei Maru and the 4,980-ton Kinkasan Maru. In December, she repeated her success by sinking 2,345-ton Konei Maru before avoiding damage from reciprocal depth charging. Orders to transport a crew of Marines followed, but she resumed her efforts in February. That month, USS Peto struck an enemy vessel with a torpedo and then came to the rescue of sister ship USS Cero with two rounds from her deck gun at attacking escorts. After a stop to refuel, she sunk 4,369-ton Kayo Maru with six torpedo shots while avoiding their response of 13 depth charges.

In June, Peto received major alterations at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, which delayed her next deployment until fall. As part of Task Group 17.13, she sailed into the Yellow Sea, where she witnessed an explosion and realized that it was the USS Barb. She thus shot 10 torpedoes and sank the Tatsuaki Maru, while engulfing another enemy ship in flames. USS Peto set another ship, the Aisakasan Maru, on fire later in November, before blowing it up with another torpedo. In the same attack, Peto also sunk the 2,827-ton Chinkai Mara in less than five minutes. Before returning to Guam for a refit, she ended her mission with an attack on a coastal tanker.

Her next tasks found her near Marcus Island in May, where she skillfully led friendly pilots to their targets and photographed enemy shore installations. Her life guarding capabilities allowed her to save two aviators from the downed Lexington (CV-16) and nine other pilots during just one day in July, and rescue a Royal Navy pilot in August. Before war hostilities ceased, Peto was responsible for one more strike and the sinking of a Japanese sampan. In 1946, Peto became part of the Atlantic Fleet and placed in reserve; her new port was in New London, Connecticut. Six years later, she became a Naval Reserve Training submarine, in service to the 8th Naval District. USS Peto was struck from the Navy List in August of 1960 and sold for scrapping three months later.

Peto certainly did her part in her role of saving United States military lives, and contributed greatly in the attack of enemy vessels. She was very fortunate to escape so many counter-attacks and depth charges without serious results. But, sometimes, damage to ships wasn't always clearly obvious, and such could have been the case with Peto. Since she, along with most of the World War II submarines, was sold for scrap, no one will ever know the extent of any structural damage from repeated depth charge explosions. The worst case scenario would be that any asbestos insulation sealant may have become damaged, allowing carcinogenic fibers to escape. If that occurred, tiny pieces of asbestos may have drifted anywhere on board and could have been inhaled or swallowed by crew members. Since asbestos fibers can remain in human tissue for several decades, it is only now that medical conditions are being discovered as a result of their long-term presence. Serious diseases - as well as cancers - have been attributed to asbestos exposure. That is why it is very important that any former crew member of the USS Peto see their physician at the first sign of unusual physical symptoms. For additional information, fill out the form on this page to receive comprehensive packet in the mail.

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