Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War

United States Navy — Submarine class

Gato-class submarine

Gato class

The class in numbers

  • 77 Completed
  • 20 Lost
  • 6 Preserved

Design and service

Type
Submarine
Navy
United States Navy
Built
1940–1944
In commission
1941–1969
Preceded by
Mackerel-class submarine
Succeeded by
Balao-class submarine
Operators
United States, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Brazil, Japan
Builders
  • Electric Boat Company
  • Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
  • Mare Island Naval Shipyard
  • Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company

Class specifications

Figures for the class as designed. Individual vessels varied, sometimes considerably — each vessel page carries its own configurations.

As built
Displacement, surfaced
1,525 long tons (1,549 t)
Displacement, submerged
2,424 long tons (2,463 t)
Length
94.79 m (311 ft)
Speed
21 knots (38.9 km/h, 24.2 mph)
Complement
60
Main gun
76 mm (3 in)
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

Roster

Holding 76 of the 77 hulls recorded for this class. Vessels transferred to another navy are catalogued under the navy that sailed them and appear there instead.

Vessel Pennant Commissioned Fate
USS Albacore (SS-218) SS-218 1942 Sunk 1944
USS Amberjack (SS-219) SS-219 1942 Sunk 1943
USS Angler 1943 Scrapped 1974
USS Barb (SS-220) SS-220 1942 Scrapped 1972
USS Bashaw 1943 Target 1972
USS Blackfish 1942 Scrapped 1959
USS Bluefish (SS-222) SS-222 1943 Scrapped 1960
USS Bluegill 1943 Scuttled 1970
USS Bonefish (SS-223) SS-223 1943 Sunk 1945
USS Bream 1944 Target 1969
USS Cavalla (SS-244) SS-244 1944 Preserved 1971
USS Cero (SS-225) SS-225 1943 Scrapped 1970
USS Cobia 1944 Preserved 1970
USS Cod 1943 Preserved 1976
USS Corvina 1943 Sunk 1943
USS Croaker 1944 Preserved 1976
USS Dace (SS-247) SS-247 1943 Scrapped 1975
USS Darter (SS-227) SS-227 1943 Scuttled 1944
USS Dorado (SS-248) SS-248 1943 Sunk 1943
USS Drum (SS-228) SS-228 1941 Preserved 1969
USS Finback (SS-230) SS-230 1942 Scrapped 1959
USS Flasher (SS-249) SS-249 1943 Preserved 1963
USS Flier 1943 Sunk 1944
USS Flounder 1943 Scrapped 1960
USS Flying Fish (SS-229) SS-229 1941 Scrapped 1959
USS Gabilan 1943 Scrapped 1960
USS Gato (SS-212) SS-212 1941 Scrapped 1960
USS Golet 1943 Sunk 1944
USS Greenling (SS-213) SS-213 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Grouper 1942 Scrapped 1970
USS Growler (SS-215) SS-215 1942 Sunk 1944
USS Grunion 1942 Sunk 1942
USS Guardfish (SS-217) SS-217 1942 Target 1961
USS Guavina 1943 Target 1967
USS Guitarro (SS-363) SS-363 1944 Scrapped 1983
USS Gunnel 1942 Scrapped 1959
USS Gurnard (SS-254) SS-254 1942 Scrapped 1961
USS Haddo (SS-255) SS-255 1942 Scrapped 1959
USS Haddock (SS-231) SS-231 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Hake 1942 Scrapped 1972
USS Halibut (SS-232) SS-232 1942 Scrapped 1946
USS Hammerhead (SS-364) SS-364 1944 Scrapped
USS Harder (SS-257) SS-257 1942 Sunk 1944
USS Herring 1942 Sunk 1944
USS Hoe 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Jack (SS-259) SS-259 1943 Target 1967
USS Kingfish 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Lapon (SS-260) SS-260 1943 1976
USS Muskallunge 1943 Target 1968
USS Paddle 1943 Target 1968
USS Pargo (SS-264) SS-264 1943 Scrapped 1961
USS Peto 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Pogy (SS-266) SS-266 1943 Scrapped 1959
USS Pompon 1943 Scrapped 1960
USS Puffer (SS-268) SS-268 1943 Scrapped 1960
USS Rasher 1943 Scrapped 1974
USS Raton 1943 Scrapped 1973
USS Ray (SS-271) SS-271 1943 Scrapped 1960
USS Redfin 1943 Scrapped 1971
USS Robalo 1943 Sunk 1944
USS Rock 1943 Scrapped 1972
USS Runner (SS-275) SS-275 1942 1943
USS Sawfish 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Scamp (SS-277) SS-277 1942 Sunk 1944
USS Scorpion (SS-278) SS-278 1942 Sunk 1944
USS Shad (SS-235) SS-235 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Silversides (SS-236) SS-236 1941 Preserved
USS Snook (SS-279) SS-279 1942 1945
USS Steelhead 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Sunfish (SS-281) SS-281 1942 Scrapped 1960
USS Tinosa (SS-283) SS-283 1943 Scuttled 1960
USS Trigger (SS-237) SS-237 1942 Sunk 1945
USS Tullibee (SS-284) SS-284 1943 Sunk 1944
USS Tunny (SS-282) SS-282 1942 Target 1970
USS Wahoo (SS-238) SS-238 1942 Sunk 1943
USS Whale (SS-239) SS-239 1942 Scrapped 1960

Sources