USS Queenfish ( SS - 393 ) USS " Queenfish " ( SS / AGSS - 393 ) , a " Balao " - class submarine , was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the queenfish , a small food fish found off the Pacific coast of North America . The first " Queenfish " was laid down by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery , Maine , 27 July 1943 ; launched 30 November 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . Robert A . Theobald ; and commissioned 11 March 1944 , Lieutenant Commander Charles E . Loughlin in command . First patrol : August – October 1944 . After shakedown off the east coast and further training in Hawaiian waters , " Queenfish " set out on her first patrol 4 August 1944 , in Luzon Strait . She joined " Ed ' s Eradicators " , a wolf pack which also included and . The wolfpack was under the command of E . R . Swinburne who rode aboard Eugene B . Fluckey ' s " Barb " " Tunny " had to withdraw after being damaged by air attack , but on 31 August , " Queenfish " made her first kill , 4 , 700 - ton tanker " Chiyoda Maru " . On 9 September she scored twice more , on 7 , 097 - ton passenger - cargo ship " Toyooka Maru " and 3 , 054 - ton transport " Manshu Maru " . ComSubPac ordered the Eradicators to assist another wolf pack in rescuing Allied POW s who had been on transports in another convoy . The Japanese had picked up their own survivors from the wreckage , but they made no attempt to save any survivors from among the 2 , 100 British and Australian POWs embarked in the transports . The submarines managed to get 127 out of the water . An approaching typhoon terminated the hunt and the patrol . " Queenfish " put into Majuro for refit 3 October . Second and third patrols : October 1944 – January 1945 . " Queenfish " ’ s second war patrol was conducted in the northern part of the East China Sea . This time Cdr . Loughlin had pack command as well as ship command . " Loughlin ' s Loopers " included " Barb " and . On 8 November " Queenfish " sank 1 , 051 - ton " Keijo Maru " and the 1 , 948 - ton " Hakko Maru " . On 9 November , she sent 2 , 131 - ton " Chojusan Maru " , a former gunboat , to the bottom . Alerted by ComSubPac to the approach of a large convoy from Manchuria carrying reinforcements for the Philippines , the " Loopers " and another wolfpack , the " Urchins " , combined to attack . " Queenfish " struck first on 15 November , sinking the 9 , 186 - ton aircraft ferry " Akitsu Maru " . Over the next two days the subs destroyed eight ships of the convoy , including the 21 , 000 - ton carrier and the largest of the troop transports . The attacks cost the Japanese army defending the Philippines the bulk of a division . Having received the Presidential Unit Citation for her first two patrols , " Queenfish " spent her third war patrol , 29 December to 29 January 1945 , in the Formosa Straits and waters adjacent to the China coast without sinking any ships . Fourth patrol : February – April 1945 . " Queenfish " returned to the same area for her fourth war patrol , 24 February to 14 April , as a member of another wolf pack . Cdr . William S . Post , Jr . , the senior commanding officer in , also had in his wolf pack , " Post ' s Panzers " , the second of that name . After " Spot " expended all her torpedoes , she left to reload ; pack command devolved on Cmdr . Loughlin . On 1 April " Queenfish " sank 11 , 600 - ton passenger - cargo ship " Awa Maru " . Unfortunately her victim was a ship whose safe passage had been guaranteed by the United States government , since she was to carry Red Cross relief supplies to Japan ese prisoner - of - war camps . The sinking occurred in heavy fog , and " Awa Maru " was not sounding her fog horn , as required by international treaty . The incident caused considerable controversy . When the one survivor picked up by " Queenfish " told his story , " Queenfish " was ordered back to port ; Cdr . Loughlin was relieved of command , tried by court - martial and convicted of one of three charges , negligence in obeying orders and received a " Letter of Admonition " from the Secretary of the Navy . Loughlin survived to continue an illustrious career that led to flag rank . On 12 April " Queenfish " rescued the 13 - man crew of a U . S . Navy PB4Y - 2 of VPB - 108 which ditched on 8 April after becoming lost . " Queenfish " spent her fifth patrol under Cdr . Frank N . Shamer on lifeguard duty in the East China Sea - Yellow Sea area . She was at Midway preparing for another patrol when the war ended . Post - World War II operations , 1945 – 1963 . After overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard , " Queenfish " assumed duties as Flagship , Submarine Force , Pacific Fleet . Homeported at Pearl Harbor after the war , " Queenfish " returned to the Far East during March 1946 and in June – July 1949 , but spent most of the period to 1950 in training operations in the eastern Pacific . In late 1947 she operated in the Bering Sea . In February and March 1950 " Queenfish " took part in combined Operations with units of the U . S . Pacific and British Fleets . She made cruises to Korean waters in 1951 and 1953 . In February 1954 she sailed to her new homeport of San Diego . The next four years were spent operating off the west coast of the United States , with the exception of two weeks in Hawaii in late 1956 . On 16 January 1958 she departed for a 6 - month deployment to WestPac , returning to San Diego 27 July to resume operations off the west coast of the United States . " Queenfish " was used for the opening and closing scenes and some exterior shots in the 1959 movie " Operation Petticoat " . " Queenfish " was reclassified AGSS - 393 1 July 1960 . She decommissioned and was struck from the Navy List 1 March 1963 . Slated for scrapping , she was instead sunk as target by the nuclear - powered submarine on 14 August 1963 . Honors and awards . " Queenfish " was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation , and received six battle star s for World War II service .