USS Sunfish ( SS - 281 ) USS " Sunfish " ( SS - 281 ) , a " Gato " - class submarine , was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ocean sunfish , " Mola Mola " , a plectognath marine fish , having a deep body truncated behind , and high dorsal and anal fins . The first " Sunfish " ( SS - 281 ) was laid down on 25 September 1941 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard , Vallejo , Calif . ; launched on 2 May 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . J . W . Fowler ; and commissioned on 15 July 1942 , Comdr . R . W . Peterson in command . " Sunfish " held her shakedown in the San Diego Bay area and returned to San Francisco for post - shakedown availability . On 26 October , she stood out to sea en route to the Pacific war zone . First and second war patrols , November 1942 – April 1943 . She arrived at Pearl Harbor , T . H . , on 1 November , and departed on her first war patrol on 23 November . Her assigned patrol area was off the coasts of Honshū and Hokkaidō , Japan . The submarine laid a minefield at the entrance to Iseno Imi on the night of 16 December – 17 December . On 18 December , she fired a spread of torpedoes at a transport " Kyowa Maru " and damaged her . The patrol ended , on 14 January 1943 , upon her return to Midway Island . " Sunfish " began her second patrol on 4 February which took her into the East China Sea . She attacked a ship on the night of 4 March , but the first spread missed the target . Three stern shots gave her the satisfaction of seeing flames shoot up from the target . Two days later , a transport was fired at with a four - torpedo spread ; and three explosions were heard . When the submarine raised her periscope , destroyer screws passed over the conning tower . Close depth charges loosened bolts and temporarily extinguished the lights , but no serious damage was suffered . On the night of 13 March , " Sunfish " launched three torpedoes at a cargo ship in the approaches to Toro Shima . They ran true and the 3 , 262 - ton " Kosei Maru " went under . The submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 3 April . Third and fourth war patrols , May – September 1943 . Her third patrol was made , from 4 May to 24 June , in the shipping lanes near Truk Atoll . No enemy shipping was found , so " Sunfish " reconnoitered Anguar Island on 23 May and shelled a refinery on Fais Island five days later . From 28 July to 25 September , " Sunfish " sought targets in waters off Formosa . In two attacks on 13 August , she left a tanker down by the stern and witnessed a second ship explode , sending flames high . This signified the end of the converted gunboat " Edo Maru " . In the early morning hours of 4 September , " Sunfish " dodged between lighted sampans to attack a 10 - ship convoy . The " Kozon Maru " went down after a terrific secondary explosion . Fifth and sixth war patrols , October 1943 – March 1944 . " Sunfish " refitted at Pearl Harbor and sailed on 16 October for an area northeast of Formosa . No worthy targets were found , and she returned to Pearl Harbor on 14 December 1943 . On 14 January 1944 , " Sunfish " got underway to prowl the shipping lanes between the Caroline and Mariana Islands . She made a photographic reconnaissance of Kusaie and another atoll in the Carolines between 21 January and 30 January . On 23 February , the submarine made four determined attacks on a convoy and sank " Kunishima Maru " and " Shinyubari Maru " for a total of 9 , 437 tons of enemy shipping . When she returned to Pearl Harbor on 7 March , she was routed onward to San Francisco for an overhaul . Seventh and eighth war patrols , June – September 1944 . When the overhaul was completed in early June , " Sunfish " returned to Pearl Harbor and was ordered to begin a patrol on 22 June in the Kuril Islands area . She sank the passenger - cargo ship " Shanmai Maru " on the night of 5 July . The next day the submarine destroyed a fleet of 14 sampans and trawlers with her deck guns . A Soviet merchant ship , the " Ob " was sunk by " Sunfish " on 6 July . The 6 , 284 - ton cargo ship " Taihei Maru " was torpedo ed and sunk on the morning of 9 July . " Sunfish " steamed to Midway for a refit period from 1 August to 19 August . " Sunfish " began her eighth war patrol on 20 August when she departed Midway for the Yellow Sea . On 10 September she intercepted a convoy coming out of Tsushima Strait and sank " Chihaya Maru " and damaged several other targets . On the night of 13 September , another convoy was sighted . " Etashima Maru " was sunk and " Sunfish " claimed damage to other targets , including one ship left with her decks awash . The patrol ended at Pearl Harbor on 27 September . Ninth war patrol , October – December 1944 . " Sunfish " returned to the Yellow Sea , on 23 October , as part of a “ wolf pack ” that included and . On 17 November the " Sunfish " sighted a convoy of eight ships led by the 21 , 000 - ton escort carrier " Jinyo " . The carrier quickly passed out of range , and word was flashed to the other two members of the pack . " Sunfish " attacked the remaining ships of the convoy and sank two , " Edogawa Maru " , and . " Spadefish " caught " Jinyo " with four torpedoes and sent her under . The running battle continued , and " Peto " sank " Aisakasan Maru " and " Chinkai Maru " , while " Spadefish " added " Submarine Chaser No . 156 " to the score . On 29 November , " Spadefish " sank " Daiboshi Maru " and the next day , " Sunfish " sank the transport " Dairen Maru " . The patrol terminated at Majuro , Marshall Islands , on 19 December 1944 after the coordinated attacks had sunk 59 , 000 tons of Japanese shipping on a single patrol . Tenth and eleventh war patrols , January – April 1945 . " Sunfish " stood out of Majuro on 15 January 1945 to patrol in the East China and Yellow Seas . However , she had to terminate the patrol on 20 February when collision with an unsighted ice floe bent both periscopes . The ship entered Apra Harbor , Guam , on 27 February , for refit and repairs . " Sunfish " began her 11th , and last , war patrol on 31 March 1945 off Honshū and Hokkaidō . She operated in the approaches to Ominato in April . On the 9th a ship was damaged but managed to speed away and enter a protected harbor . Five days later , " Sunfish " launched three torpedoes at a merchantman ; but all missed . The submarine carried out a daylight attack on 16 April which resulted in the sinking of " Manryu Maru " , a transport , and the frigate " Coast Defense Vessel No . 73 " . Her last torpedoes were expended three days later in night - radar attacks , sinking " Kaiko Maru " and " Taisei Maru " . " Sunfish " returned to Pearl Harbor on 28 April and departed for the United States two days later . Sunfish was in the Mare Island Naval Shipyard from 7 May to 31 July for an overhaul and returned to Pearl Harbor on 9 August . She was preparing for another patrol when hostilities with Japan ceased . The submarine stood out of Pearl Harbor on 29 August en route to the west coast . She arrived at Mare Island , on 5 September , for inactivation and was decommissioned there on 26 December 1945 . " Sunfish " remained out of commission , Serving as a classroom for Naval Reserve units until she was struck from the Navy List on 1 May 1960 . " Sunfish " received nine battle star s for World War II .