USS Cutlass ( SS - 478 ) USS " Cutlass " ( SS - 478 ) , a " Tench " - class submarine , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the cutlassfish , a long , thin fish found widely along the coasts of the United States and in the West Indies . Her keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Navy Yard on 10 July 1944 . She was launched on 5 November 1944 sponsored by Mrs . R . E . Kintner , and commissioned on 17 March 1945 with Commander Herbert L . Jukes in command . Operational History . 1945 - 1973 ( US Navy ) . Departing Portsmouth , New Hampshire , on 25 April 1945 , " Cutlass " arrived at Pearl Harbor on 15 July and put out on her maiden war patrol two days later . Assigned to patrol in the vicinity of the Kurile Islands , she entered the area one day after the Japanese surrender , remained on observation patrol until 24 August , then returned to Pearl Harbor . She sailed on 2 September for New York , arriving 24 September to receive visitors through Navy Day . " Cutlass " cruised on the East Coast until 8 January 1946 when she cleared for the Panama Canal Zone . Except for three months of operations in Delaware Bay , " Cutlass " remained in the Caribbean Sea , based at Cristóbal , Canal Zone . From 23 August to 2 October 1947 she made a cruise down the coast of South America , around Cape Horn , visited Valparaíso , Chile , and returned to the east coast of South America through the Straits of Magellan . " Cutlass " left the Panama Canal Zone 6 January 1948 for local operations at Key West , Florida , then entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in March for overhaul and modernization . Arriving at Key West 7 February 1949 she served as test submarine for Operation " Rainbow " evaluating color schemes to enhance livability , a serious problem in new submarines with long submergence capability . She continued to sail out of Key West until the summer of 1952 when her home port was changed to Norfolk , Virginia . In 1953 " Cutlass " cruised to the Mediterranean Sea , visiting France , Greece , Turkey , North Africa , Gibraltar , Malta , and Spain , then sailed in Cuban waters to act as target for destroyer s and aircraft engaged in antisubmarine exercises . She joined in local operations , fleet exercises and antisubmarine warfare training in the Caribbean Sea until September 1956 when she departed for the Mediterranean and operations with NATO forces including the Sixth Fleet . She visited Italy , Greece , Crete , Majorca , Portugal and England , returning to Norfolk in December . In 1958 she sailed on a north European cruise , visiting Rosyth , Scotland , Copenhagen and Korsor , Denmark , and passing through the Kiel Canal . In the first half of 1959 , " Cutlass " joined in the antisubmarine warfare development work of Task Force " Alfa " off the Virginia Capes , and in September sailed for the Mediterranean . In November she passed through the Suez Canal to join ships of the Pakistani Navy in exercises off Karachi , returning to Norfolk in December . After continued operations with TF " Alfa , " she entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in February 1960 for an overhaul which continued until August . " Cutlass " was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 April 1973 . 1973 - ( Republic of China Navy ) . On 4 December 1973 , " Cutlass " was sold to the Republic of China , where she was commissioned in the Republic of China Navy as ROCS Hai Shih ( SS - 791 ) , ( meaning " sea lion " ) . As of September 2013 , " Hai Shih " was still in service .