USS Hake ( SS - 256 ) USS " Hake " ( SS / AGSS - 256 ) was a of the United States Navy that served during World War II . Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company , Groton , Connecticut . She was launched 17 July 1942 ( sponsored by Mrs . F . J . Fletcher , wife of Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher ) , and commissioned 30 October 1942 , Lieutenant Commander J . C . Broach in command . Operational history . Atlantic war patrols , April – July 1943 . " Hake " departed for shakedown off New London soon after commissioning and after bringing crew and equipment up to fighting efficiency began her first war patrol from New London 8 April 1943 . Her mission on this patrol was to search out and destroy German submarine s in the North Atlantic , but no contacts were gained and she arrived Helensburgh , Scotland , to terminate the patrol 29 April . She departed for her second patrol , off the Azores and again on antisubmarine patrol , 27 May 1943 and after encountering few submarines returned to New London 17 July . Third and fourth war patrols , December 1943 – April 1944 . Newly assigned to the Pacific , " Hake " departed New London 25 August 1943 for San Diego , via the Panama Canal . After a training period off the California coast , she sailed for the western Pacific 6 December . " Hake " armed at Pearl Harbor and departed for her third war patrol 27 December 1943 . She sighted a transport en route to Japan 11 January 1944 and after a day - long chase to gain position sank her the next day . The submarine then continued to her cruising grounds off the Philippine Islands , patrolling off Luzon and later moving south to Mindanao . The night of 26 January she attacked a tanker , damaged her , and in turn suffered considerable damage from depth charge attacks before making her escape . Hake next encountered three ships with two escorts 1 February . With the three targets in a line of bearing after a perfect approach , the submarine launched a spread of six torpedoes , sinking two of the three , " Tacoma Maru " , and " Nanka Maru " . The attack achieved complete surprise and " Hake " was not attacked by the screening vessels . She then departed for Fremantle , Australia , terminating the patrol there 20 February 1944 . " Hake " ' s fourth war patrol was spent in the South China Sea near Singapore , following departure from Fremantle 18 March 1944 . She encountered her first target 27 March off southwest Borneo , and it was a submariner ' s dream : an unescorted tanker . Two torpedoes sent the ship , " Yamamizu Maru " , to the bottom . After an attack the night of 1 April in which " Hake " damaged several ships , she battled escorts and searched for more transports until 30 April , when she arrived at Fremantle . Fifth and sixth war patrols , May – September 1944 . For her fifth war patrol , commencing 23 May , " Hake " was assigned the area southwest of Mindanao . Her duty was to attack shipping and to act as a picket to alert American forces to the approach of the Japanese fleet , which was expected to sortie from Tawi Tawi to the Mariana Islands . Sighting destroyer " Kazegumo " 8 June , the sub closed for the attack and succeeded in sinking her adversary , but fierce attacks prevented her from sinking any of the accompanying destroyers . " Hake " also succeeded in sinking two transports during this patrol . Cargo ship " Kinshu Maru " was sunk 17 June after four hits , and a heavily laden troop transport was sunk 3 days later at the entrance to Davao Gulf . She returned to Fremantle 11 July 1944 . During this patrol , " Hake " was the witness to the loss of . " Hake " returned to her patrol area off the Philippines , departing 5 August . During this , her sixth war patrol , she attacked another destroyer , damaging it , but made few additional contacts because of extremely heavy air and surface patrolling by Japanese forces . She arrived at Fremantle Harbor 24 September 1944 . Seventh , eighth , and ninth war patrols , October 1944 – August 1945 . Departing 20 October for her seventh war patrol , " Hake " encountered few contacts in her patrol area . Operating with and the ill - fated , which was lost on the patrol , " Hake " spent a harrowing 16 hours 7 – 8 November , counting nearly 150 depth charge s and sustaining considerable damage . On 19 November " Hake " torpedoed Japanese cruiser " Isuzu " west of Corregidor , damaging her rudder . " Hake " was subsequently sent on a special mission off Panay Island , where she rendezvoused with Filipino guerrillas to bring on board 29 U . S . aviators shot down in recent air attacks . Her valuable cargo safe , " Hake " returned to Australia , arriving Fremantle 16 December . " Hake " departed Fremantle for her eighth war patrol 12 January 1945 . After searching the South China Sea ( now almost denuded of targets ) for almost a month , she headed for San Francisco , arriving 13 March . After overhaul she departed San Francisco some 2 months later and began her ninth war patrol in the Pacific 20 July 1945 . " Hake " acted as lifeguard ship for the air strikes against Japan , and after the surrender had the distinction of being 1 of 12 submarines to witness the historic ceremonies on board the battleship in Tokyo Bay . Post - war service . Following the signing , " Hake " started on the long trek back to New London , via the Panama Canal . She decommissioned at New London 13 July 1946 , entered the reserve fleet , and was taken out of reserve 15 October 1956 to serve as a Reserve Training Ship for 4th Naval District at Philadelphia , Pa . Her classification was changed to AGSS - 256 , auxiliary submarine , 6 November 1962 . She continued to serve out of commission as a training ship for reservists at Philadelphia until she was struck from the Navy List 1 March 1967 to be sold . " Hake " received seven battle star s for her service in World War II . Her third , fourth , fifth , sixth , and seventh war patrols were designated successful .