USS Hackleback ( SS - 295 ) USS " Hackleback " ( SS - 295 ) , a " Balao " - class submarine , was a ship of the United States Navy named after the hackleback , a freshwater fish of the sturgeon family . " Hackleback " was launched 30 May 1943 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Co . , Philadelphia , Pa . ; sponsored by Mrs . W . L . Wright ; and commissioned 7 November 1944 , Lt . Comdr . Frederick E . Janney in command . After training out of New London , " Hackleback " reported to the Fleet Sonar School at Key West 24 December . Two weeks training there were followed by further training at Balboa , Canal Zone , and " Hackleback " sailed for Pearl Harbor 25 January 1945 . The new submarine participated in still more training exercises at Pearl Harbor before departing for her first war patrol 6 March . Japan ese merchant shipping had been decimated by the Pacific submarine fleet , and " Hackleback " was to encounter no suitable targets in any of her patrols . But on this first patrol , she played a key role in the sinking of the last of Japan ' s super - battleship s , the " Yamato " . Patrolling the Bungo Suido area late in the night of 6 April , " Hackleback " made radar contact on a fast group of ships at about . She sent a steady stream of location reports back to Pearl Harbor , at the same time attempting to close with the task group . " Hackleback " three times came to within of the " Yamato " force , but destroyer s forced her out of range before she could get in position to fire torpedo es . " Yamato " was not to escape , however . The following morning , 7 April , planes from Admiral Mitscher ' s famous TF 58 , guided by " Hackleback " ' s contact location reports , struck the " Yamato " group . In four successive waves , the carrier planes accounted for the destruction of " Yamato " , the light cruiser " Yahagi " , and two destroyers , leaving only six destroyers of the Japanese task force to escape . During the rest of her first patrol , " Hackleback " made two gun attacks on small ships , but discontinued the engagements when it appeared they were trying to lure her in close to shore . Returning to Midway 26 April , she prepared for a second patrol and on 21 May sailed . This time " Hackleback " ' s primary mission was lifeguard duty off Saki Shima Gunto as the carriers pounded the Japanese home islands . On 22 June she picked up a downed carrier pilot , Lt . Comdr . C . P . Smith . " Hackleback " also engaged in some shore bombardment . After an air strike on Shokoto Sho 7 July , the submarine closed the island and fired 73 rounds of shells . No surface contacts were made on this patrol . Hackleback returned to Guam 12 July . Sailing for her third war patrol 14 August , the submarine received an unofficial flash " Tokyo accepts " that same day , and on 16 August headed for Midway . The long Pacific war had ended . " Hackleback " spent 2 weeks at Midway and then sailed for home , reaching San Francisco 11 September . " Hackleback " decommissioned there 20 March 1946 and was placed in reserve at Mare Island . " Hacklebacks classification was changed to AGSS - 295 " ' on 6 November 1962 . Her name was struck from the Navy List 1 March 1967 and was sold for scrapping , 4 December 1968 to Zidell Explorations , Portland , Ore .