Ship / Subject: USS Hake (SS-256) – Gato-class Fleet Submarine (Decorated WWII Pacific Combat Veteran).
Commemorated Event: Keel Laying Day Ceremony.
Date of Postmark: November 3, 1941.
Postmark Cancellation: Clean, distinct circular U.S. NAVY branch hand-cancel dated NOV 3 1941 with four classic duplex killer bars securely tying the stamp. (Note: Because a vessel cannot have an active onboard post office before it is built, historical keel-laying covers were processed through local base or shipyard naval postal facilities).
Cachet Maker: Dr. S. E. Hutnick, M.D. (A highly prominent, legendary Universal Ship Cancellation Society designer out of West Philadelphia, PA). Authenticated by his official purple commercial backmark on the reverse side of the cover. His proprietary sponsor tag "R.C.D. 70" is explicitly featured on the front design.
Cachet Design: Clean and formal two-tone patriotic naval layout stamped in deep navy blue ink on the left flank. Features a highly detailed graphic illustration of a spreading American Bald Eagle soaring forward. Bold stylized typography frames the emblem reading: "UNITED STATES NAVY / USS HAKE / SS256 KEEL LAID / ELECTRIC BOAT CO. / GROTON, CONN. / R.C.D. 70".
Franking: Features a 2-Cent carmine rose United States National Defense Issue postage stamp (Scott #900). First issued on October 16, 1940, to build public awareness for the pre-war mobilization effort, the vignette depicts a firing anti-aircraft gun beneath the bold text "ARMY AND NAVY / FOR DEFENSE".
Reverse Side (Back Markings): Stamped with the official commercial signature ink mark of the cachet sponsor: "S. E. HUTNICK, M. D. / 5933 LANSDOWNE AVENUE / WEST PHILA., PA.". Additionally features a fascinating, historic handwritten pencil request from an early collector reading "Send more covers" across the central fold flap.
Addressee: Type-written address to mid-century naval cover collector Stephen D. Black at 209 4th Ave. in Three Rivers, Michigan, U.S.A.
History: The USS Hake (SS-256) was a legendary, heavy-hitting Gato-class submarine built by the iconic Electric Boat Company. This cover captures the absolute genesis of her life cycle on November 3, 1941—remarkably taking place just one month before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into WWII. Officially launched in 1942, the Hake went on to serve an extraordinary, aggressive combat career in the Pacific Theater. Across 9 grueling war patrols, she successfully sank 7 confirmed enemy ships (including the Japanese destroyer Asakaze and the auxiliary netlayer Shuko Maru). She survived multiple intense depth-charge counterattacks and proudly stood present in Tokyo Bay during the official Japanese surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945. Following the war, she was converted into a Fleet Snorkel submarine to continue serving on the frontline of the Cold War through the late 1960s.