USS Carbonero ( SS - 337 ) USS " Carbonero " ( SS / AGSS - 337 ) was a " Balao " - class submarine , the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the carbonero , a salt - water fish found in the West Indies . Her keel was laid down on 16 December 1943 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton , Connecticut . She was launched on 19 October 1944 sponsored by Mrs . S . S . Murray , and commissioned on 7 February 1945 with Commander Charlton L . Murphy , Jr . in command . World War II . Sailing from New London , Connecticut , on 21 March 1945 , " Carbonero " served with the Fleet Sonar School at Key West , Florida , and conducted torpedo exercises at Balboa , Canal Zone , before arriving at Pearl Harbor on 9 May . Her first war patrol , conducted off Formosa from 26 May to 8 July , was devoted to lifeguard duty , standing by for possible rescue of aviators downed in aircraft carrier strikes . After refitting at Subic Bay , " Carbonero " cleared for the Gulf of Siam on 4 August , and cruising off the east coast of the Malay Peninsula , sank four schooners , two sampans , and two junks , some of the small remnants of the Japanese merchant fleet . This second war patrol ended with the cease fire order on 15 August , and " Carbonero " put back to Subic Bay . 1945 – 1962 . " Carbonero " reported at Seattle , Washington , on 22 September 1945 for operations on the west coast . After a simulated war patrol to the Far East early in 1947 , she was assigned to the Submarine Guided Missile Program , joining her sister ship ( SS - 348 ) as a control vessel operating out of San Diego , California , and Port Hueneme , California . Assigned to the Regulus Missile Program , " Carbonero " was redesignated an Auxiliary Submarine ( AGSS - 337 ) in 1949 . Fitted with the Fleet Snorkel modification package in 1951 , " Carbonero " operated off Southern California , and occasionally in the Hawaiian Islands . In 1953 " Carbonero " was fitted with control equipment which enabled her to guide a missile once it passed beyond the range of the firing ship . She performed in various phases of this program including the launching of Loon missiles and the evaluation of Regulus missile guidance equipment . On 13 May 1957 , her home port shifted to Pearl Harbor . In July 1959 , " Carbonero " became the flagship of Submarine Division 12 . From that time forward " Carbonero " took part in local operations in Hawaiian waters plus deployments to the Western Pacific , trips to the South Pacific and mainland United States . She made an Arctic familiarization cruise in 1957 , and in 1958 and 1959 – 1960 , cruised to the Far East . She has assisted in the training of forces of the Republic of Korea and of Japan , and called at ports of Japan and the Philippines during these deployments . Early in 1962 the Regulus missile guidance equipment was removed . " Carbonero " returned to the standard " Fleet Snorkel " configuration , and was redesignated an Attack Submarine ( SS - 337 ) . 1962 – 1970 . " Carbonero " participated in the 1962 nuclear tests in the Central Pacific off Christmas Island and Johnston Island entitled Operation Dominic . She was on hand for the detonation of a warhead from a Polaris missile fired from the ( SSBN - 608 ) in the " Frigate Bird " nuclear weapon test . " Carbonero " and ( SS - 480 ) were about 30 miles from the detonation . During the Vietnam War " Carbonero " again performed aviator lifeguard duties during trips to the Far East . During the mid 1960s while operating off Kaena Point , Oahu , Carbonero ran aground at the depth of 250 feet , requiring drydock repair at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard . " Carbonero " also participated in the Project SHAD Biological tests 65 - 6 Big Tom , 66 - 13 Half Note , and 68 - 71 Folded Arrow . During these tests , Bacillus globigii was released from the USS Carbonero using a submarine - biological - disseminator . Aerosol sampling was done at various land - based stations near Oahu , Hawaii and Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station . " Carbonero " was decommissioned on 1 December 1970 . On 27 April 1975 , she was taken to sea for one last time and used as a test target for a Mark 48 torpedo fired by ( SSN - 647 ) off Hawaii . Awards . " Carbonero " received one battle star for service in World War II . One of her two war patrols was designated as " successful " .