USS Sailfish ( SSR - 572 ) USS " Sailfish " ( SSR / SS / AGSS - 572 ) , the lead ship of her class of submarine , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sailfish , a large gamefish inhabiting tropical seas , related to the swordfish , but possessing scales and a large sail - like dorsal fin . " Sailfish " was laid down on 8 December 1953 by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of Kittery , Maine . She was launched on 8 September 1955 sponsored by Mrs . Lynde D . McCormick , and commissioned on 14 April 1956 with Lieutenant Commander S . R . McCord in command . Service history . 1956 – 1960 . " Sailfish " was the first submarine built expressly for radar picket service , and was equipped with BPS - 2 and BPS - 3 radar s in and aft of the sail . She and her sister ship , , were the largest conventionally - powered submarines in the United States Navy since the " Argonaut " of 1928 . Designed to scout in advance of carrier groups using long - range radar , the " Sailfish " - class were designed for a high surface speed . However , their speed achieved was not significantly faster than converted World War II radar picket submarines . Following trials off the New Hampshire coast , " Sailfish " conducted a shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea before joining Submarine Squadron ( SubRon ) 6 at Norfolk , Virginia . In July 1957 , she began her first extended deployment with Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea . She returned to Norfolk in October and , through the fall of 1958 , engaged in local operations , with occasional visits to Caribbean ports . In December , she commenced a seven - month conversion and overhaul at Portsmouth . In April 1959 , while the yard work was still in progress , she was transferred to SubRon 10 at New London , Connecticut . " Sailfish " resumed coastal operations out of New London in July , participating in fleet and NATO exercises , providing qualification training for prospective submarine officers and crews , and sharpening her own battle readiness . 1961 – 1967 . On 3 February 1961 , " Sailfish " was reclassified an attack submarine and given hull classification symbol SS - 572 , as the submarine radar picket mission ended fleetwide . Airborne radar had superseded it with the full deployment of the Grumman WF - 2 Tracer . By September 1962 , she was preparing for her second Mediterranean deployment and departed New London on 10 October . She operated with Sixth Fleet over the next four months and returned to New London in February 1963 , where she participated in local operations through the rest of that year and 1964 . In January 1965 , " Sailfish " was transferred to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , where she entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for an extensive " FRAM II " conversion . Thirteen months later , in February 1966 , she left the navy yard presenting a more sleek , streamlined appearance , broken only by the deck mounted fins of the new PUFFS sonar system . Her large search radar had been removed . These new fins duplicated on a miniature scale the form of her conning tower , giving her the dorsaled look of a large , beautiful fish , like the " Sailfish " for which she was named . Following an exhaustive checkout of her newly acquired systems and a period of refresher training , she deployed in July for her third Mediterranean tour . After four months , she returned to New London and local operations . 1967 – 1978 . On 1 November 1967 , she was assigned to SubRon 8 and joined the submarines of Submarine Division ( SubDiv ) 82 , specialists in antisubmarine warfare . She operated out of Groton , Connecticut , until July 1968 , then underwent overhaul into February 1969 . On 1 July , she was ordered to the Pacific and assigned a new home port , Pearl Harbor . " Sailfish " departed New London on 14 July ; transited the Panama Canal ; and , after a brief visit to Acapulco , Mexico , proceeded to Hawaii . From Pearl Harbor , she sailed on 9 October for deployment with Seventh Fleet in the western Pacific . " Sailfish " operated out of Yokosuka , Japan . In January 1970 , she participated in Allied exercises off Taiwan and Okinawa ; in February , she conducted joint training operations with units of the Navy of the Republic of Korea ; and , in March , she operated with units of the Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force . On 26 May , " Sailfish " returned to Pearl Harbor and spent the remainder of the year there in training operations and upkeep . On 8 February 1971 , " Sailfish " departed Pearl Harbor for her second WestPac deployment . For over six months , she cruised the western Pacific . In late May she joined units of the United States Navy and of the Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force in HUK ASWEX 3 - 71 . By mid - July , she was in the Mindanao Sea participating in another antisubmarine exercise , this time with units of the Philippine Navy . " Sailfish " spent a week in Brisbane , Australia , before returning to Pearl Harbor , on 28 August , for overhaul . The submarine underwent regular overhaul from 20 October 1971 until 14 July 1972 . Between July and December , she operated between Hawaii and the California coast , engaged in trials and type training . On 1 December , " Sailfish " departed San Diego , California , for Yokosuka , Japan , and her third WestPac cruise . She plied the waters of the western Pacific until 4 May 1973 , when she departed Subic Bay to return to the United States . She stopped overnight , on the night of 19 May and 20 May at Pearl Harbor , then continued on to San Diego . For the rest of 1973 , she operated off the California coast out of San Diego . Decommissioning and fate . " Sailfish " was decommissioned on 29 September 1978 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the next day . She was to be disposed of by the Security Assistance Program for cash sale to a foreign navy , but remained berthed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Bremerton , Washington . In May 2007 the ex - " Sailfish " was disposed of in support of a Fleet Training SINKEX exercise when a Mark 48 ADCAP torpedo fired from the sent her to the bottom .