USS Darter ( SS - 227 ) USS " Darter " ( SS - 227 ) , a " Gato " - class submarine , was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the darter . Her keel was laid down on 20 October 1942 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton , Connecticut . She was launched on 6 June 1943 ( sponsored by Mrs . E . B . Wheeler ) , and commissioned on 7 September 1943 , Commander William S . " Gin " Stovall , Jr . in command . World War II . " Darter " put out from New London , Connecticut on 31 October 1943 for Pearl Harbor , arriving on 26 November . First patrol . On 21 December 1943 , she cleared harbor on her first war patrol , bound for the heavily traveled shipping lanes south and west of Truk . This patrol was twice interrupted for repairs , at Pearl Harbor from 29 December 1943 – 3 January 1944 , and at Tulagi and Milne Bay from 30 January – 8 February . She performed a reconnaissance of Eniwetok on 12 January , and the next day scored a torpedo hit on a large ship , only to receive a severe depth - charging from her target ’ s escorts . She stood by on patrol during the carrier air strikes on Truk of 16 – 17 February , then fueled at Milne Bay on her way to refit at Brisbane from 29 February - 17 March . She suffered her only casualty of the war during this refit when Motor Machinist ' s Mate , Second Class Robert Richard Gould , Jr . was electrocuted . Second patrol . On her way to her second war patrol north of Western New Guinea and south of Davao , " Darter " topped off fuel at Milne Bay on 21 – 22 March 1944 . On 30 March , she sank a cargo ship , then patrolled off New Guinea during Allied landings on its coast . She put in to Darwin to refuel on 29 – 30 April , then returned to her patrol area until 23 May , when she arrived at Manus Island . Third patrol . Refitted , she put out for action waters once more on 21 June on her third war patrol off Halmahera and Mindanao . She sank off Morotai on 29 June 1944 , and again endured a heavy depth charge barrage as a result of her attack . Fourth patrol . Returning to Brisbane on 8 August 1944 , " Darter " cleared on her fourth and last war patrol . She searched the Celebes Sea and South China Sea , returned to Darwin to fuel and make minor repairs on 10 September , and put back to the Celebes Sea . She put in to Mios Woendi on 27 September for additional fuel , and sailed on 1 October with to patrol the South China Sea in coordination with the forthcoming invasion of Leyte . She attacked a tanker convoy on 12 October , and on 21 October headed with " Dace " for Balabac Strait to watch for Japanese shipping moving to reinforce the Philippines or attack the landing forces . In the outstanding performance of duty which was to bring both submarines the Navy Unit Commendation and Darter ' s commander , David Hayward McClintock , the Navy Cross , " Darter " and " Dace " made contact with the Japanese Center Force approaching Palawan Passage on 23 October . Immediately , " Darter " flashed the contact report , one of the most important of the war , since the location of this Japanese task force had been unknown for some days . The two submarines closed the task force , and with attacks on the cruiser s of Center Force , initiated the Battle of Surigao Strait phase of the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf . " Darter " sank the heavy cruiser and seriously damaged the cruiser . With " Dace " , she tracked the damaged cruiser through the tortuous channels of Palawan Passage until just after midnight of 24 – 25 October when " Darter " grounded on Bombay Shoal . As efforts to get the submarine off the shoal began , a Japanese destroyer closed , but then sailed on . With the tide receding , all " Dace " s and " Darter " s efforts to get her off failed . All confidential papers and equipment were destroyed , and the entire crew taken off to " Dace " . When the demolition charges planted in " Darter " failed to destroy her , " Dace " fired torpedoes which exploded on the reef due to the shallow water . " Dace " did , however , score 21 hits with her gun . was called in and fired 10 torpedoes at " Darter " with similar lack of success . Finally , arrived on 31 October and scored 55 hits with her guns . Her report states , " It is doubtful that any equipment in DARTER at 1130 this date would be of any value to Japan - except as scrap . Estimated draft of DARTER - 4 feet . " Apparently , the Japanese got no use out of her , for her hulk was still remarkably intact in 1962 . " Dace " reached Fremantle safely with " Darter " s men on 6 November . In order to retain their high " esprit de corps " , the entire " Darter " crew was ordered to take over , then being built at Manitowoc , Wisconsin . Awards . In addition to the Navy Unit Commendation , " Darter " received four battle star s earned during her four war patrols , the last three of which were designated as " successful " . She is credited with having sunk a total of of Japanese shipping .