USS Perch ( SS - 313 ) USS " Perch " ( SS / SSP / ASSP / APSS / LPSS / IXSS - 313 ) , a " Balao " - class submarine , was the second submarine of the United States Navy to be named for the perch , a rather small European fresh - water spiny - finned fish . The second " Perch " ( SS – 313 ) was laid down 5 January 1943 by the Electric Boat Co . , Groton , Conn . ; launched 12 September 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . David A . Hart ; and commissioned 7 January 1944 , Lt . Comdr . Blish C . Hills in command . After shakedown she departed 19 February 1944 for Key West , Fla . , where she gave services to the Fleet Sound School . She then sailed for Pearl Harbor , arriving 3 April . First and second war patrols , April – August 1944 . On 29 April she departed Pearl Harbor with for Midway where joined them . The South China Sea was the hunting ground for the wolf pack . Early in the morning of 24 May , a medium tanker was contacted and damaged by four torpedo hits . The counterattack by a lone escort prevented further observation of the damage inflicted and knocked out both high pressure air compressors by flooding of the pump room . " Perch " headed for the Marshall Islands , arriving at Majuro on 4 June . On 27 June " Perch " began her second war patrol , this time off Surigao Strait in the Philippines . She sank a 100 - ton Japanese trawler with gunfire before returning to Pearl Harbor 26 August . Third and fourth war patrols , September 1944 – February 1945 . " Perch " departed Pearl Harbor on her third war patrol 19 September . At Midway she joined submarines and and the three set out for the confined waters of the East China and Yellow Seas . " Perch " unsuccessfully attacked one heavily escorted transport , and performed lifeguard duty supporting B - 29 raids on Honshū . " Perch " then headed for Saipan to refuel en route to Brisbane , Australia , for duty with Submarines , Southwest Pacific Fleet . The fourth war patrol began 19 December from Brisbane . First " Perch " patrolled off Hainan , China ; next off Singapore ; and finally in Balabac Straits off Borneo . She sighted no enemy ships , and the patrol ended at Fremantle , Western Australia , 15 February 1945 . Fifth and sixth war patrols , March – June 1945 . On 12 March " Perch " departed Fremantle carrying with her eleven Australasian specialists trained in commando warfare , under the command of Major Donald Stott . On the first night of the mission , in the Makassar Straits , above Balikpapan , Borneo , she landed four of the party ( including Stott ) who were to make a reconnaissance of the beach and surrounding territory . Coming in close ashore two nights later to disembark the remainder of the party , " Perch " contacted a 300 - ton coastal freighter that threatened to cut off her return to open water . She engaged it with gunfire and the second hit caused the freighter burst into flames and sink . The first party were never heard from again . It was speculated that the engine which powered the officers kyak was heard . Locals believed they had been captured and executed by the Japanese . The second party rowed ashore , and placed their charges to blow up an oil supply pipeline . They were closely chased by Japanese patrols , but escaped by taking a small boat off the island . They were picked up well out to sea by a Catalina on patrol ; only two of the party survived . " Perch " returned to Fremantle , Western Australia , completing her fifth war patrol . On 15 April " Perch " departed Fremantle on her sixth war patrol and journeyed to the Java Sea to hunt out the enemy . When she contacted a convoy of two ships , an alert Japanese escort discovered " Perch " and subjected her to a severe two - hour depth charging which caused considerable damage throughout the boat . She then sailed to the China coast to patrol off Hainan before returning to Pearl Harbor 5 June . Seventh war patrol , July – August 1945 . On 11 July " Perch " departed Pearl Harbor and after fueling at Saipan , proceeded north for duty in the " Lifeguard League " off Japan . On 13 August she rescued a Navy Corsair pilot from the water two miles ( 3 km ) offshore , bombarded fishing vessels and buildings on the beach , and retired to sea . A few hours later the same day , she picked up another pilot from the same fighter squadron five miles ( 8 km ) offshore . Two days later Japan capitulated and " Perch " returned to Pearl Harbor 30 August . Conversion to transport submarine ; Korean War . " Perch " departed Pearl Harbor and set course for the Golden Gate , arriving Hunter ' s Point 8 September . She decommissioned and was placed in reserve in January 1947 . On 19 January 1948 " Perch " was redesignated as a Submarine Transport , SSP – 313 , and was placed in an active status , attached to the U . S . Pacific Fleet . " Perch " recommissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard 20 May 1948 , Lt . Comdr . O . H . Payne in command . Through 1949 , the ship participated in various troop - and cargo - carrying exercises . On 31 January 1950 " Perch " was reclassified a " transport submarine , " ASSP - 313 . In September 1950 " Perch " transported a force of British Commandos in a raid on the northeast coast of Korea west of Tanchon . The target , a train tunnel on the north - south supply line , was destroyed , with the loss of one man who was buried at sea . The commanding officer , Lieutenant Commander R . D . Quinn , became the only submarine commanding officer to receive a combat award during the Korean War when he was awarded the Bronze Star for this action . 1950s . From August 1951 to March 1952 , " Perch " underwent overhaul at Mare Island . From 1952 to 1954 , " Perch " trained , making " reconnaissance - runs " and " raids " on several Alaskan and Hawaiian islands . In January 1955 " Perch " made a cruise to WestPac conducting a " reconnaissance and raid " on Iwo Jima and observed other islands in the Bonin Chain . Periods between Far Eastern cruises , " Perch " performed type training and intertype amphibious exercises in the San Diego area . " Perch " , again classified as a Submarine Transport , APSS - 313 , on 24 October 1956 , departed San Diego 5 November for a reconnaissance exercise in the Panama Canal Area , returning to San Diego 11 December . In late 1957 she made a reconnaissance voyage from San Diego to Hawaii and Alaska , and spent most of 1958 and 1959 in amphibious training exercises in the San Diego area with marines and Underwater Demolition Teams . In December 1959 " Perch " departed San Diego , decommissioned on 31 March 1960 , and entered the Mare Island Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Vallejo , Calif . 1960s . " Perch " recommissioned 11 November 1961 , Lt . Comdr . C . H . Hedgepeth in command , trained on the West Coast and Hawaii through 1962 , and arrived at her new homeport , Subic Bay , Philippine Islands in March 1963 . Her operations consisted of training the U . S . Marine ' s Amphibious Recon Battalion , Army Special Forces , and Navy UDT s in reconnaissance and also in providing training services to allied countries . In May and June 1964 " Perch " traveled to Mindoro and trained with British commando forces . July and August were spent in Hong Kong , Pohong Bay , Korea ( with R . O . K . Special Forces ) , Yokosuka and Okinawa , Japan . March and April 1965 , saw " Perch " participating in exercise " Jungle Drum III " by landing 75 Marine Corps reconnaissance personnel on the Malay Peninsula from the Gulf of Siam . " Perch " conducted search and rescue operations in the Vietnam combat zone during August and September . She made two amphibious landings on the coast of South Vietnam during November and December as part of operation " Dagger Thrust . " During January " Perch " landed UDT personnel for beach survey work in South Vietnam as part of operation " Double Eagle . " She then provided services at Legaspi , P . I . to train Filipino and American UDT personnel . Between local training operations in the Subic Bay area , Perch worked with Chinese Special Forces at Kaohsiung , Taiwan , and with Army Special Forces at Keelung , Taiwan . In July " Perch " participated in operation " Deck House II " on the coast of South Vietnam . Again in August , " Perch " conducted several independent beach surveys with UDT personnel along the coast of South Vietnam . For operation " Deck House IV " in September " Perch " landed UDT personnel on five successive nights for preinvasion beach reconnaissance . On 7 October 1966 , " Perch " headed for Pearl Harbor via Hong Kong , Palau Islands , Guam , and Midway Island . She operated in Hawaiian waters until 1967 when she became Naval Reserve Training submarine at San Diego . On 22 August 1968 " Perchs classification was changed from APSS – 313 to Submarine Transport LPSS – 313 " ' . " Perch " was designated an Unclassified Miscellaneous Submarine IXSS - 313 30 June 1971 She was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register , 1 December 1971 , and Disposition , sold for scrapping , 15 January 1973 . " Perch " received four battle star s for World War II service and one battle star for Korean War service .