USS Skipjack ( SS - 184 ) USS " Skipjack " ( SS - 184 ) , a " Salmon " - class submarine , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the fish . Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton , Connecticut , on 22 July 1936 . She was launched on 23 October 1937 sponsored by Miss Frances Cuthbert Van Keuren , and commissioned on 30 June 1938 with Lieutenant Herman Sall in command . Pre - World War II Service . Following shakedown in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea and post - shakedown repairs at New London , Connecticut , " Skipjack " was assigned to Submarine Squadron 6 ( SubRon 6 ) and departed for fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean and South Atlantic . Following her return to New London on 10 April 1939 , she sailed with sister ships and for the Pacific , transited the Panama Canal on 25 May , and arrived at San Diego , California , on 2 June . During July , she cruised to Pearl Harbor as part of SubRon 2 ; returned to San Diego on 16 August ; and remained on the West Coast engaged in fleet tactics and training operations until 1 April 1940 , when she again got underway for the Hawaiian area for training exercises there . Following her return to San Diego , " Skipjack " underwent overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo , California , and then proceeded back to Pearl Harbor , where she was attached to Rear Admiral Wilhelm L . Friedell ' s , Pacific Fleet , as a member of SubDiv 15 ( commanded by Captain Ralph Christie ) . She operated out of Pearl Harbor until again undergoing overhaul at Mare Island in July and August 1941 . " Skipjack " returned on 16 August and commenced patrols off Midway Island , Wake Island , and the Gilbert Islands and Marshall Islands . In October 1941 , SubDiv 15 ( then commanded by " Sunshine " Murray ) was transferred to ComSubAsiatic Fleet , along with the tender " Holland " , and Joe Connolly ' s SubDiv 16 , as SubRon 2 . When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December , " Skipjack " was in the Philippines undergoing repairs at the Cavite Navy Yard . First , Second and Third War Patrols . On 9 December , " Skipjack " ( under the command of Charles L . Freeman ) departed Manila on her first war patrol , with all unfinished repair work completed by her crew " en route " to the patrol area off the east coast of Samar . The submarine conducted two torpedo attacks during this patrol . On 25 December , in the first attack of its kind by a U . S . submarine , " Skipjack " attacked an enemy aircraft carrier and a destroyer . She followed prewar doctrine and fired three torpedoes on sonar bearings from a depth of , without success . On 3 January 1942 , three torpedoes were fired at an enemy submarine , resulting in two explosions , but a sinking could not be confirmed . She refueled at Balikpapan , Borneo , on 4 January and arrived at Port Darwin , Australia , for refit on 14 January . " Skipjack " ’ s second war patrol , conducted in the Celebes Sea , was uneventful with the exception of an unsuccessful attack on a Japanese aircraft carrier . She returned to Fremantle , Western Australia , on 10 March 1942 . On 14 April , " Skipjack " got underway under the command of James W . Coe for her third war patrol , conducted in the Celebes Sea , Sulu Sea , and South China Sea . On 6 May , contact was made with a Japanese cargo ship , and the submarine moved in for the kill . Finding herself almost dead ahead , " Skipjack " fired a " down the throat " spread of three torpedoes that sank the " Kanan Maru " ( ) . Two days later , the submarine intercepted a three - ship convoy escorted by a destroyer and she fired two torpedoes that severely damaged the merchant ship , " Taiyu Maru " ( ) . Then she let go with four more that quickly sank the cargo ship , " Bujun Maru " ( ) . On 17 May , " Skipjack " sank the passenger - cargo ship " Tazan Maru " ( ) off Indochina before heading back to Fremantle . Fourth through Ninth War Patrols . Following participation in performance tests for the Mark 14 torpedo , " Skipjack " sailed for her fourth war patrol on 18 July 1942 , conducted along the northwest coast of Timor which she reconnoitered and photographed . She also severely damaged an enemy oiler . The submarine returned to Fremantle for refit on 4 September . " Skipjack " ’ s fifth war patrol was conducted off Timor Island , Amboina , and Halmahera . On 14 October , while patrolling south of the Palau Islands , the submarine torpedoed and sank the 6 , 781 - ton cargo ship , " Shunko Maru " ( ) . Following a depth charge attack by a Japanese destroyer , the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 26 November . " Skipjack " ’ s sixth , seventh , and eighth war patrols were unproductive . But , during her ninth , conducted in the Caroline Islands and Mariana Islands areas , she sank two enemy vessels . On 26 January 1944 , she commenced a night attack on a merchant ship , but , prior to firing , she shifted targets when an enemy destroyer began a run on the submarine . She quickly fired her forward torpedoes and was rewarded with solid hits that quickly sank " Suzukaze " ( ) . The submarine then fired her stern tubes at the merchant ship . One of the submarine ' s torpedo tube valves stuck open and her after torpedo room began to flood . The torpedomen were unable to close the emergency valves until she had taken on approximately 14 tons of water . A large upward angle developed almost immediately , forcing the submarine to surface . By the time control of the boat had been regained , the water in the torpedo room was only a few inches from the top of the water tight door , but fortunately there were no casualties , and " Skipjack " resumed the attack . The submarine then torpedoed and sank the converted seaplane tender " Okitsu Maru " ( ) . She returned to Pearl Harbor on 7 March . Tenth War Patrol and fate . Following repairs , " Skipjack " participated in performance tests on new torpedoes in cold water off the Pribilof Islands until 17 April and then headed for the Mare Island Navy Yard and overhaul . After returning to Pearl Harbor , " Skipjack " got underway for her tenth and final war patrol , conducted in the Kuril Islands area . During this patrol , she damaged an enemy auxiliary and attacked a Japanese destroyer without success . On 11 December , she returned to Midway Island and then continued on to Ulithi . She then sailed to Pearl Harbor for refit ; and got underway on 1 June 1945 for New London , Connecticut , and duty training submarine school students . " Skipjack " was later sunk as a target vessel in the second atomic bomb test at Bikini Atoll in July 1946 and was later raised and towed to Mare Island . On 11 August 1948 , she was again sunk as a target off the coast of California by aircraft rockets . Her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 13 September 1948 . " Skipjack " received seven battle star s for World War II service .