USS Cuttlefish ( SS - 171 ) USS " Cuttlefish " ( SC - 5 / SS - 171 ) , a " Cachalot " - class submarine and one of the " V - boat s , " was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the cuttlefish . Her keel was laid down by Electric Boat Company in Groton , Connecticut . She was launched on 21 November 1933 sponsored by Mrs . B . S . Bullard , and commissioned on 8 June 1934 , Lieutenant Commander Charles W . " Gin " Styer in command . Service history . Inter - War Period . Departing New London , Connecticut , on 15 May 1935 , " Cuttlefish " arrived at San Diego , California on 22 June . She sailed on torpedo practice and fleet tactics along the West Coast , as well as in the Hawaiian Islands until 28 June 1937 , when she sailed for the Panama Canal , Miami , Florida , New York City , and New London , Connecticut . Arriving at New London on 28 July , she conducted experimental torpedo firing , sound training , and other operations for the Submarine School . She sailed from New York City on 22 October 1938 for Coco Solo , where she conducted diving operations and other exercises for the training of submariners until 20 March 1939 , sailing then for Mare Island , California . " Cuttlefish " arrived at Pearl Harbor on 16 June and was based there on patrol duty , as well as joining in battle problems and exercises in the Hawaiian area . That autumn , she cruised to the Samoan Islands , and in 1940 to the West Coast . On 5 October 1941 , she cleared Pearl Harbor for an overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard . World War II . After returning to Pearl Harbor , " Cuttlefish " put to sea on her first war patrol on 29 January 1942 . On 13 February , she performed a reconnaissance of Marcus Island , gaining valuable information , and after patrolling in the Bonin Islands , returned to Midway Island on 24 March . She refitted there and at Pearl Harbor , and on 2 May cleared Midway for her second war patrol . From 18 – 24 May , she reconnoitered Saipan and the northern part of the Mariana Islands . On 19 May , she attacked a patrol ship , and while maneuvering for a second attack , was detected . She was forced deep to endure four hours of severe depth charging , more of which came her way on 24 May when she challenged three enemy destroyer s . The next day an alert enemy plane caught her on the surface and dropped two bomb s as she went under , both of them misses . As it became obvious the Japanese Fleet was out in strength , " Cuttlefish " was ordered to patrol about west of Midway , remaining on station during the Battle of Midway from 4 – 6 June 1942 . She returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 June , and there and at Midway prepared for her third war patrol , for which she sailed on 29 July under the command of Lieutenant Commander Elliot E . Marshall . Patrolling off the Japanese homeland , she attacked a destroyer on 18 August , and received a punishing depth charge attack . Three days later , she launched a spread of torpedoes , three of which hit a freighter and one of which hit an escort . Explosions were seen , but the sinking could not be confirmed . On 5 September , she attacked a tanker which , it is believed , she sunk . Returning to Pearl Harbor on 20 September 1942 , " Cuttlefish " was ordered to New London , where she served the Submarine School as a training ship from December 1942 - October 1945 . On 8 December 1944 , she suffered minor damage in collision with . She was decommissioned at Philadelphia on 24 October 1945 , and sold for scrap on 12 February 1947 . Awards . " Cuttlefish " received two battle stars for her World War II service .