USS Plunger ( SS - 179 ) , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named " plunger " after a diver or a daring gambler . Unlike most American submarines of the day , she was not named for a fish or other sea - dwelling creature . The second " Plunger " was laid down 17 July 1935 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery , Maine ; launched 8 July 1936 ( sponsored by Miss Edith E . Greenlee ) ; commissioned 19 November 1936 , Lt . George L . Russell ( later commander of Submarine Squadron 10 ) in command . " Plunger " departed Gravesend Bay , N . Y . 15 April 1937 for a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay , the Canal Zone , and Guayaquil , Ecuador . In November , following post - shakedown alterations at Portsmouth , she steamed to San Diego to join SubDiv 14 , SubRon 6 ( Submarine Division 14 , Submarine Squadron 6 ) . Continuing operations in the San Diego area for the next several years , " Plunger " joined ( AS – 3 ) and five " Porpoise " - class boats 15 March 1938 for a cruise to Dutch Harbor , Alaska . Training cruises to waters off Panama and Hawaii occupied the next several years . On 30 November 1941 she reported to Pearl Harbor and was off Diamond Head when Japanese planes attacked 7 December . First and second war patrols , December 1941 – July 1942 . " Plunger " , commanded by David C . White ( Class of 1927 ) set out on her first patrol less than a week after the Pearl Harbor attack , but had to turn back due to a pressure hull leak . Repaired , she set out again on 14 December . Along with and , " Plunger " was part of the first US Navy offensive operation of World War II . Her orders sent her to Kii Suido , a principal entrance into the Inland Sea and an important funnel to industrial bases in the area . The three boats took two important technological devices into enemy waters : the Mark VI magnetic exploder for their Mark 14 torpedo es , and the primitive SD radar set . Shortly after White arrived on station , " Plunger " was seen by a Japanese destroyer which came on using powerful echo - ranging sonar — or " pinging . " Hearing the pinging was a jolt . The submarine force had not known for certain , until now , that the Japanese had such gear . The Japanese not only had it , they knew how to use it . The destroyer found " Plunger " and unleashed twenty - four close depth charges . It was a vicious , determined attack , the first for both the hunter and the hunted in Empire waters . It jarred the boat and crew severely . White was thankful that he had put back into Pearl Harbor to repair the weakness in the hull . Had he not , " Plunger " might not have survived . She sank Japanese cargo ship " Eizon Maru " 18 January 1942 . " Plunger ' s " second war patrol , 5 June to 15 July , took her off Shanghai . On this patrol , she sank the 4 , 700 - ton cargo ship " Ukai Maru No . 5 " on 30 June and " Unyo Maru No . 3 " on 2 July before returning to Midway 15 June . While on this patrol , White nearly sank a ship by accident that would have caused an international uproar . Through diplomatic channels , President Roosevelt had arranged an exchange of political prisoners trapped in the United States and Japan by the outbreak of war , including U . S . Ambassador to Japan Joseph C . Grew . They were put aboard the neutral vessels " Asama Maru " and S . S . " Conte Verde " for transfer from Japan to the United States . They were to sail with lights and other markings on a prearranged route , as would the vessels returning the Japanese . < br > On 5 June , [ COMSUBPAC ] English had sent instructions to his submarines , describing these ships , the routes , and the markings . Later , on 25 June , when the vessels actually got under way , English sent further messages , designed to assure immunity from submarine attack . Dave White failed to receive these messages . In the early morning hours of 30 June , he picked up " Conte Verde " and began an approach , somewhat astonished to find a ship all lighted up . < br > Back at Pearl Harbor , George " Turkey Neck " Crawford was on duty that night in submarine headquarters . " The Communications Officer , " Crawford remembered , " came in to see me and wanted to send the immunity message again . I checked through the files and discovered that we had sent it four nights in a row . I questioned the need to send it again . However , the Communications Officer thought it might be a good idea , so , somewhat reluctantly , I put it on the air . " < br > On " Plunger " , White had " Conte Verde " fixed in his periscope hairs and the crew at battle stations when his communications officer , having picked up and just decoded this fifth immunity message , rushed up into the conning tower . White broke off the attack at the last minute , settling for a photograph taken through the periscope from a range of 800 yards . Third and fourth war patrols , October 1942 – January 1943 . In October , as U . S . forces pushed on to Matanikau and Cape Esperance , " Plunger " departed Pearl Harbor on 12 October to reconnoiter the area and to block the " Tokyo Express . " However , " Plunger " hit an uncharted reef 2 November , destroying her sound gear and damaging her bottom . After repairing at Brisbane , " Plunger " returned to the Guadalcanal area for her fourth war patrol and operated off Munda , where Japanese barges were coming in at night , unloading troops and supplies , and departing by daybreak . On the night of 16 – 17 December she slipped past four destroyer s and attacked two others unloading at Munda Bar . After seeing two of her " fish " explode , she slipped away from a counterattack . After another attack with unknown results the next night , and a bomber attack while heading home 8 January 1943 , she arrived Pearl Harbor 12 January . 1943 . " Plunger " continued reconnaissance patrols throughout the spring and summer . She sank " Taihosan Maru " 12 March , and " Tatsutake Maru " and " Kinai Maru " 10 May . In June , she joined and in the first U . S . penetration into the Sea of Japan , an area abounding with Japanese shipping . Crossing the southern end of the Sea of Okhotsk , the ships returned to Midway 26 July but departed again 6 August to return to the Sea of Okhotsk . " Plunger " sank 3 , 404 - ton " Seitai Maru " there 20 August and 4 , 655 - ton " Ryokai Maru " 22 August . Returning to Pearl Harbor 5 September , the ships were the only U . S . vessels to complete two patrols to this area until the final weeks of the war . In October , " Plunger " reconnoitered in the Marshalls area . She added lifeguard duties to her resume as U . S . bombers hit the islands , picking up a downed aviator 15 November . During the rescue , a Zero strafed the boat , seriously wounding the executive officer and five bluejackets . Nevertheless , the submarine rescued Lt . ( j . g . ) Franklin G . Schramm . 1944 – 1945 . Frequent depth charge attacks pursued " Plunger " in January 1944 as she patrolled off the Japanese main islands . The risk was profitable , however , as she sank " Toyo Maru No . 5 " and " Toyo Maru No . 8 " on 2 February and " Kimishima Maru " on 23 February . Returning to Pearl Harbor 8 March , " Plunger " departed again 8 May to patrol the Bonin Islands . In July , she patrolled in and around Truk . On 19 September 1944 she reported to Pearl Harbor for overhaul . She departed 15 February 1945 for New London , to serve in a training capacity until 25 October , when she reported to New Haven for Navy Day celebrations . On 30 October she reported to the Boston Navy Yard , where she decommissioned 15 November 1945 . Post - war service . Retained in an inactive status , " Plunger " was fitted for service as a Naval Reserve Training vessel and reported to Brooklyn , N . Y . in May 1946 , remaining there until 8 May 1952 , when she departed for Jacksonville , Florida to support the Naval Reserve Training Program . Returning to New York 18 February 1954 , she was declared inessential 5 July 1956 . Stricken from the Navy Register 6 July 1956 , she was sold to Bethlehem Steel Co . , Bethlehem , Pa . 22 April 1957 , and scrapped . " Plunger " received 14 battle star s for World War II service .