USS Cavalla ( SS - 244 ) USS " Cavalla " ( SS / SSK / AGSS - 244 ) , a " Gato " - class submarine , was a ship of the United States Navy named for a salt water fish , best known for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku , a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack . Operational history . Departing New London 11 April 1944 , " Cavalla " arrived at Pearl Harbor 9 May for voyage repairs and training . On 31 May 1944 she put to sea , bound for distant , enemy - held waters . On her maiden patrol " Cavalla " , " en route " to her station in the eastern Philippines , made contact with a large Japan ese task force on 17 June . " Cavalla " tracked the force for several hours , relaying information which contributed to the United States victory in the Battle of the Philippine Sea ( commonly known as the " Marianas Turkey Shoot " ) on 19 – 20 June 1944 . On 19 June she caught the carrier " Shōkaku " recovering planes , and quickly fired a spread of six torpedoes for three hits , enough to sink " Shōkaku " at . After a severe depth charging by three destroyer s , " Cavalla " escaped to continue her patrol , with relatively minor damage by depth charges of . The feat earned her a Presidential Unit Citation . " Cavalla ' s " second patrol took her to the Philippine Sea as a member of a wolfpack operating in support of the invasion of Peleliu 15 September 1944 . On 25 November 1944 , during her third patrol , " Cavalla " encountered two Japanese destroyers , and made a surface attack which blew up " Shimotsuki " at . The companion destroyer began depth charging while " Cavalla " evaded on the surface . Later in the same patrol , 5 January 1945 , " Cavalla " made a night surface attack on an enemy convoy , and sank two converted net tender s at . " Cavalla " cruised the South China and Java Seas on her fourth and fifth war patrols . Targets were few and far between , but she came to the aid of an ally on 21 May 1945 . A month out on her fifth patrol , the submarine sighted , damaged by enemy depth charges and unable to submerge or make full speed . " Cavalla " stood by the damaged submarine and escorted her on the surface to Fremantle , arriving 27 May 1945 . " Cavalla " received the cease - fire order of 15 August while lifeguard ing off Japan on her sixth war patrol . A few minutes later she was bombed by a Japanese plane that apparently had not yet received the same information . She joined the fleet units entering Tokyo Bay 31 August , remained for the signing of the surrender on 2 September , then departed the next day for New London , arriving 6 October 1945 . She was placed out of commission in reserve there 16 March 1946 . Recommissioned 10 April 1951 , " Cavalla " was assigned to Submarine Squadron 8 and engaged in various fleet exercises in the Caribbean and off Nova Scotia . She was placed out of commission 3 September 1952 and entered Electric Boat Co . yard for conversion to a hunter - killer submarine ( reclassified SSK - 244 , 18 February 1953 ) . " Cavalla " was recommissioned 15 July 1953 and assigned to Submarine Squadron 10 . Her new sonar made " Cavalla " valuable for experimentation , and she was transferred to Submarine Development Group 2 on 1 January 1954 , to evaluate new weapons and equipment , and to participate in fleet exercises . She also cruised to European waters several times to take part in NATO exercises , and visited Norfolk , Va . , for the International Naval Review ( 11 – 12 June 1957 . On 15 August 1959 , her classification reverted to SS - 244 . In November , 1961 , " Cavalla " was ordered to Puerto Rico and provided electrical power via umbilical connection to which had suffered a diesel generator failure while the nuclear reactor was shut down . " Cavalla " successfully assisted " Thresher ' s " restart of her reactor . Fate . She was reclassified an Auxiliary Submarine AGSS - 244 in July 1963 . " Cavalla " was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register , 30 December 1969 . On 21 January 1971 , " Cavalla " was transferred to the Texas Submarine Veterans of World War II . She now resides at Seawolf Park on Pelican Island , just north of Galveston , Texas . " Cavalla " has undergone an extensive restoration process ( see photos , below ) , and is open for self - guided tours . Among the early benefactors was the former Texas secretary of state George Strake , Jr .