USS Chopper ( SS - 342 ) USS " Chopper " ( SS / AGSS / IXSS - 342 ) , a " Balao " - class submarine , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the chopper , a bluefish common in the rivers of the Mississippi Valley . Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton , Connecticut . She was launched on 4 February 1945 sponsored by Mrs . G . S . Beebe , and commissioned on 25 May 1945 with Lieutenant Commander S . Filipone in command . " Chopper " sailed from New London , Connecticut on 4 July 1945 for Pearl Harbor , where she lay from 21 September - 24 October . On 30 October , she arrived at San Diego , California , her assigned home port . She sailed on 2 January 1946 for the Philippines , where she trained and offered local services until 11 May , when she returned to San Diego and began local operations . Her next deployment — a simulated war patrol to China — took place from 28 July - 9 November 1947 . After west coast operations through 1948 , she departed San Diego on 14 March 1949 for her new home port , Key West , Florida , arriving on 4 April . Operations in Florida waters and the Caribbean Sea were conducted until 15 September 1950 , when she entered the Electric Boat Company yards for modernization . She returned to Key West for fleet exercises and training 23 May 1951 . " Chopper " departed Key West , Florida on 7 January 1952 for a tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea until 20 May . She resumed local operations , then joined in North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) operations in the Atlantic from 12 September - 14 October . Frequent trips to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , and local operations continued until 25 May 1959 , when she sailed to join in special exercises in the Mediterranean before returning to Key West on 9 August . Through 1960 , she continued operations off Florida and in the Caribbean Sea , often acting as target for surface ships in training . Accident . On 11 February 1969 , " Chopper " was participating in an ASW exercise off the coast of Cuba with when her electrical power tripped off - line . " Chopper " was making at a depth of with a slight down angle when she lost power . Within seconds , " Chopper " s angle increased to 45° down and her bow passed of depth . Because of the power loss , the Officer of the Deck was unable to communicate with the Senior Controllerman in Maneuvering room , but the senior man in the Maneuvering Room independently ordered both main motors back full . Despite the backing bell , blowing ballast , and other efforts to regain control of the submarine , the down angle continued to increase , and within one minute of the power failure , " Chopper " was nearly vertical in the water , bow down . " Chopper " s bow is estimated to have reached a depth of , her stern reaching . The crew ’ s efforts began to take effect . " Chopper " lost the headway that was taking her deeper , and even began to make sternway . Her bow began to rise , reached level , and continued to climb . " Chopper " began to ascend with a rapidly increasing up - angle until she was again nearly vertical in the water , now bow up . About two minutes after losing electrical power , " Chopper " shot through the surface of the ocean , nearly vertical . The entire forward section of the submarine , to the aft edge of the sail , cleared the surface before she fell back . Her momentum carried her down to a depth of about before she surfaced again , leveled out , and remained on the surface . " Chopper " returned to port under her own power . Inspection discovered that her hull had suffered extensive structural damage during the deep dive and rapid ascent . " Chopper " was decommissioned on 15 September 1969 . Later Career and Final Sinking . " Chopper " was re - classified , given hull classification symbol AGSS - 342 , and served as a United States Naval Reserve ( USNR ) dockside trainer in New Orleans , Louisiana until 1971 , when the USNR Submarine Reserve program was discontinued . She was re - classified , given hull classification symbol IXSS - 342 , and was used for salvage and rescue training . In 1976 , " Chopper " was modified to serve as a tethered , submerged torpedo target for . On 21 July , while " Spadefish " was on her final approach , " Chopper " began to take on water , broke her tethers , and sank . Fiction . In his book " The Hunt for Red October " , author Tom Clancy mentions the misfortune of " Chopper " in 1969 while discussing the fate of the fictional Soviet " Alfa " - class fast - attack sub " E . S . Politovskiy " .