USS Silversides ( SS - 236 ) USS " Silversides " ( SS / AGSS - 236 ) is a " Gato " - class submarine , the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the silversides , a small fish marked with a silvery stripe along each side of its body . Her keel was laid down on 4 November 1940 by the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo , California . She was launched on 26 August 1941 ( sponsored by Mrs . Elizabeth H . Hogan ) , and commissioned on 15 December 1941 , with Lieutenant Commander Creed C . Burlingame ( Class of 1927 ) in command . First patrol : April – June1942 . After shakedown off the California coast , " Silversides " set course for Hawaii , arriving at Pearl Harbor on 4 April 1942 . Departing Pearl Harbor on 30 April , " Silversides " headed for the Japanese home islands , in the area of Kii Suido , for the first of her many successful war patrols . On 10 May , just after 8 : 00 local time , the submarine used her gun to heavily damage a Japanese gunboat . During this 75 minute action , an enemy machine - gun bullet killed one of her deck gunners , TM3 Mike Harbin , the only man lost in action aboard " Silversides " during World War II . Harbin was buried at sea later that evening . On 13 May , " Silversides " fired torpedo es at an enemy submarine ; although explosions were heard , a definite sinking could not be confirmed . On 17 May , while maneuvering through an enemy fishing fleet and approaching her targets , " Silversides " ' periscope became entangled in a fishnet marked by Japanese flags held aloft on bamboo poles . The sub continued her approach , fishnet and all , and fired three torpedoes at the first ship , a 4 , 000 - ton cargo ship . Two hits tore the victim ' s stern open . While that ship was sinking , the second cargo ship was also hit , but its fate could not be determined . Patrol boats were closing in as the submarine , probably the only American submarine to make an attack while flying the Japanese flag , quickly left the vicinity . After damaging a freighter and tanker in the same area , " Silversides " terminated her first war patrol at Pearl Harbor on 21 June . Second and third patrols : July – November 1942 . " Silversides " s second war patrol was also conducted in the area of Kii Suido , from 15 July to 8 September . On 28 July , she sank a 4 , 000 - ton transport , followed by the sinking of the passenger / cargo ship " Nikkei Maru " on 8 August . She scored damaging hits on a large tanker on the night of 14 August and , on 31 August , sank two enemy trawlers before returning to Pearl Harbor . Although there were no confirmed sinkings during " Silversides " s third war patrol , conducted in the Caroline Islands , the submarine did severe damage to a large cargo ship and gained two observed torpedo hits on a Japanese destroyer or light minelayer for undetermined damage . She terminated her third patrol at Brisbane , Australia , on 25 November . Fourth patrol : December 1942 – January 1943 . " Silversides " departed Brisbane on 17 December 1942 and set course for New Ireland for her fourth war patrol . While far out at sea on the night of Christmas Eve , the submarine ' s pharmacist ' s mate , PM1 Thomas Moore , performed a successful emergency appendectomy on FM2 George Platter , using ether as anaesthesia and using rudimentary tools primarily fashioned from kitchen utensils . With the operation over at 4 : 00 on 25 December , the submarine surfaced only to be immediately forced down by a Japanese destroyer and compelled to endure a severe depth charge attack . Thinking herself safe , " Silversides " surfaced only to find the destroyer still there . Additionally , a Japanese airplane had arrived on the scene , and proceeded to drop three bombs on the submarine , severely damaging her bow planes and causing them to lock on full dive . " Silversides " managed to level off just short of crush depth and eventually evaded the enemy ship before surfacing to recharge her batteries and effect emergency repairs . While off Truk on 18 January 1943 , " Silversides " torpedoed and sank the tanker " Toei Maru " . Two days later , the submarine had one of her most productive days of the war . After paralleling a convoy throughout the daylight hours , she moved on ahead at sundown and lay in wait ( an " end around " position ) . As the targets moved into range , " Silversides " fired torpedoes at overlapping targets and sank three enemy ships — the cargo ships " Surabaya Maru " , " Somedono Maru " , and " Meiu Maru " . The attack had scarcely abated when it was discovered that an armed torpedo was stuck in a forward torpedo tube . Since it was impossible to disarm the torpedo , the commanding officer decided to attempt to refire it , an extremely dangerous maneuver . The submarine moved in reverse at top speed and fired . The torpedo shot safely from the tube , disappearing as it moved toward the horizon . When a serious oil leak was discovered later that night , the submarine left the patrol area two days ahead of schedule and returned to Pearl Harbor on 31 January . Fifth and sixth patrols : May – September 1943 . " Silversides " s fifth war patrol commenced on 17 May and was conducted in the Solomon Islands area . Her primary mission was to lay a mine field in Steffan Strait , between New Hanover and New Ireland , but she did not neglect enemy shipping . On the night of 10 June – 11 June , she sank the 5 , 256 - ton cargo ship " Hide Maru " ; for her efforts , " Silversides " was forced to endure a severe depth charging . She returned to Brisbane for refit on 16 July . For her sixth war patrol , from 21 July to 4 September , " Silversides " patrolled between the Solomons and the Carolines . Since she was plagued with malfunctioning torpedoes and a scarcity of targets , she returned to Brisbane empty - handed . Seventh and eighth patrols : October 1943 – January 1944 . " Silversides " set sail on 5 October for her seventh war patrol , in which she sank four enemy ships in waters ranging from the Solomon Islands to the coast of New Guinea . On 18 October , she torpedoed and sank the cargo ship " Tairin Maru " , and , on 24 October , made a series of daring attacks to send the cargo ships " Tennan Maru " and " Kazan Maru " and the passenger / cargo ship " Johore Maru " to the bottom . She returned to Pearl Harbor for refit on 8 November . " Silversides " patrolled off the Palau Islands for her eighth war patrol , where , on 29 December 1943 , she brought havoc to an enemy convoy of cargo ships , sinking " Tenposan Maru " , " Shichisei Maru " , and " Ryuto Maru " . She terminated her eighth patrol at Pearl Harbor on 15 January 1944 . Ninth and tenth patrols : February – June 1944 . For her ninth war patrol , " Silversides " departed Pearl Harbor on 15 February and set course for waters west of the Marianas Islands . On 16 March , she sank the cargo ship " Kofuku Maru " . The remainder of the patrol was void of worthwhile targets , so the submarine returned to Fremantle on 8 April . While on her tenth war patrol , again off the Marianas Islands , " Silversides " destroyed six enemy vessels for a total of over 14 , 000 tons . On 10 May , she torpedoed and sank the cargo ship " Okinawa Maru " , followed up with the passenger / cargo ship " Mikage Maru " ; and then sent the converted gunboat " Choan Maru Number Two " beneath the waves . Ten days later , she added to her score when she sank another converted gunboat , the 998 - ton " Shosei Maru " . On 29 May , the submarine torpedoed and sank the cargo ships " Shoken Maru " and " Horaizan Maru " ; and then headed for Pearl Harbor , arriving on 11 June . Two days later , she got underway for Mare Island Navy Yard for overhaul , returning to Pearl Harbor on 12 September . Eleventh and twelfth patrol : September 1944 – February 1945 . " Silversides " cleared Pearl Harbor on 24 September for her eleventh war patrol , conducted off Kyūshū , Japan . Although this patrol was unproductive , she aided in the rescue of a stricken sister submarine . had been badly damaged in a severe depth charging and was forced to surface and try to escape while fighting enemy escorts in a gun battle , a task for which a submarine is badly outmatched . The gunfire flashes brought " Silversides " to the scene . She deliberately drew the attention of some of the escorts , then quickly dove to escape the gunfire . Soon , submarines and joined in helping " Silversides " to guard " Salmon " , and in escorting the stricken submarine back to Saipan , arriving on 3 November . " Silversides " terminated her eleventh patrol at Midway Island on 23 November . " Silversides " ' twelfth war patrol commenced on 22 December 1944 , and was spent in the East China Sea . Despite aggressive searching , she found few worthwhile targets . However , when an opportunity did come her way , " Silversides " took full advantage . On 25 January 1945 , she torpedoed the 4 , 556 - ton cargo ship " Malay Maru " . She returned to Midway Island on 12 February . Thirteenth and fourteenth patrols : March – July 1945 . During her thirteenth war patrol , " Silversides " was a member of a coordinated attack group with submarines and , patrolling off Kyūshū . Although she again found few worthwhile targets , the submarine did manage to damage a large freighter and to sink a trawler before returning to Pearl Harbor on 29 April . " Silversides " s fourteenth and final war patrol began with departure from Pearl Harbor on 30 May . This patrol was spent on lifeguard station in support of air strikes on Honshū , Japan . On 22 July , she rescued a downed fighter pilot from the light aircraft carrier , and two days later recovered a downed United States Army Air Forces airman . She ended this patrol at Apra Harbor , Guam , on 30 July . The submarine was undergoing refit there when the hostilities with Japan ended on 15 August . Post - war service : 1945 – 1969 . " Silversides " transited the Panama Canal on 15 September 1945 , arriving at New York City on 21 September . After shifting to New London , Connecticut , she was decommissioned on 17 April 1946 and placed in reserve until 15 October 1947 , when she was placed in service as a training ship for Naval Reservists at Chicago , Illinois . After a 1949 overhaul , she remained at Chicago in support of Naval Reserve training as a stationary training vessel for the rest of her service . The last time the Silversides was dry - docked was after the war , in 1949 , when the submarine went into the reserve fleet and her solid brass propellers were removed . On 6 November 1962 , " Silversides " was reclassified as an auxiliary submarine with hull classification symbol AGSS - 236 , and on 30 June 1969 her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register . The South Chicago Chamber of Commerce promptly applied to the United States Department of the Navy for custody of " Silversides " to preserve her as a memorial . 1973 to present . " Silversides " became a part of the Combined Great Lakes Navy Association in Chicago , Illinois , behind Chicago ' s Naval Armory on 24 May 1973 . For years , the submarine was tended by a small crew of dedicated volunteers , drawn to her illustrious history and technical marvels . They donated tens of thousands of man - hours to restore her , maintained her at their own expense , and served as docents and chaperones . When association volunteers first stepped on board , they faced a musty , mildewed sub with paint peeling off in sheets inside and out , and junk scattered everywhere . After many years , the refrigeration compartment had produced a growth so thick , they could be measured in multiple inches instead of millimeters . Evidence of water damage prevailed in the forward compartments but the aft end was in reasonably good condition . Topside , the decking was weathered and worn in spots and some areas of the superstructure were rusted and in need of replacement . Volunteers quickly took steps to stop the decay . Rotted lines were replaced and the boat re - secured to the pier , the bilges were pumped dry , electric power and heat were brought on board and a leak in the No . 3 torpedo tube sealed off . The first major renovation completed was stripping , undercoating and repainting the hull to the water line . The job took several months , with a break over the winter , but once completed , the " Silversides " looked nearly new . Below decks , the boat was cleaned and general restoration got under way . Considerable rewiring was done to bring light to all areas of the boat , the plumbing underwent investigation for leaks sprung in once - frozen pipes and a crew set about surveying the Fairbanks Morse 38D8 nine - cylinder , , opposed - piston engines . The seven - cylinder auxiliary engine was brought back to life in 1975 . She was moved to Navy Pier in 1979 . That July , the first main engine , No . 3 , was brought back to life for the first time since 1946 . The No . 4 engine was restored in time for the 1984 US Submarine Veterans of World War II convention . In 1987 , the submarine was moved to Muskegon , Michigan , to serve as the centerpiece of the new Great Lakes Naval Memorial & Museum . Normally , United States Navy submarines are dry - docked every five years while on active duty . If permanently moored in fresh water the maintenance interval can be extended to 25 years . In 2004 , 55 years after " Silversides " s last dry - docking , the museum and two submarine veterans organizations formed a " Save the Silversides " fund and began soliciting tax - deductible donations through veterans groups and military publications . They based their plans on the dry - dock overhaul of , a memorial in Manitowoc , Wisconsin , which cost US $ 500 , 000 in 1996 . Film Production . " Silversides " was used for exterior scenes in the 2002 film " Below " to depict the fictional USS " Tiger Shark " . She was towed in Lake Michigan for filming . Awards . " Silversides " received twelve battle star s for World War II service , and was awarded one Presidential Unit Citation for cumulative action over four patrols . She is credited with sinking 23 ships , the third - most of any allied World War II submarine , behind only the and . The tonnage of the ships sunk by " Silversides " amounted to 90 , 080 tons , second only to " Tang " s total . Judged by such standards , " Silversides " has the most prolific combat record of any still - extant American submarine .