USS Jack ( SS - 259 ) , a " Gato " - class submarine , was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the jack ( any of various fishes — young pike , green pike or pickerel , or large California rockfish ) . Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company , Groton , Connecticut 2 February 1942 . She was launched 16 October 1942 ( sponsored by Mrs . Frances Seely ) and commissioned at New London , CT , 6 January 1943 , Commander T . M . " Tommy " Dykers ( Class of 1927 ) in command . " Jack " ' s operations during the Pacific War are chronicled in " " . First and second war patrols , June – October 1943 . " Jack " underwent shakedown training along the New England coast , sailing from New London 26 April 1943 for service in the Pacific . Reaching Pearl Harbor 21 May , the submarine took on supplies and departed on her first offensive war patrol 5 June 1943 . Taking part in the submarine offensive against Japan , she patrolled off Honshū . " Jack " came upon a five - ship convoy 26 June , and in a series of five well - executed attacks , sank the 4 , 000 - ton passenger / cargo ship " Toyo Maru " and the 6 , 000 - ton cargo ship " Shozan Maru " . In attempting to torpedo a third ship , the submarine was shaken by a torpedo dropped by an airplane , but the alert crew corrected her dangerous diving angle and effected repairs . On 4 July 1943 , " Jack " began to track smoke on the horizon and soon detected " Nikkyo Maru " with an escort . The submarine used three torpedoes to send the cargo ship to the bottom , and returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs 19 July 1943 . " Jack " ' s second war patrol ( 5 September – 10 October 1943 ) brought no opportunities for attack as engineering difficulties forced her to return prematurely to Pearl Harbor . Third war patrol , January – March 1944 . On her third war patrol , the submarine proceeded westward from Pearl Harbor 16 January 1944 bound for the South China Sea . Prowling the pivotal Singapore - Japan shipping lanes , she encountered five large oil tankers with three escorts early 19 February . The submarine reached attack position at about 04 : 40 and fired three torpedoes , scoring one hit . She then began a long circling maneuver designed to bring her in front of the remaining four tankers , and late that afternoon she was again ready to attack . Two torpedoes sank two more of the frantically zigzagging ships , and " Jack " moved in on the trailing tanker . Her first spread of torpedoes missed and the tanker replied with a salvo from guns , but " Jack " returned three hours later to sink her with four torpedoes . In this remarkable series of attacks , the submarine sank four tankers ( earning the nickname " Jack the Pack " , after the convoy commander radioed that he was under attack from a " wolfpack " ) , all over 5 , 000 tons : " Kokuie Maru " , " Nanei Maru " , " Nichirin Maru " , and " Ichiyo Maru " . After several more attacks " Jack " set course for Fremantle , Australia , her new base , where she arrived 13 March 1944 . Fourth and fifth war patrols , April – July 1944 . Departing Australia 6 April 1944 , " Jack " returned to the South China Sea for her fourth war patrol . She chased the Take Ichi convoy through the afternoon of 25 April , and shortly after midnight next day attacked , sinking " Yoshida Maru " and damaging two others . " Jack " also used her deck gun to sink a radio - equipped trawler , " Daisun " , 27 April before returning to Fremantle 10 May 1944 . " Jack " left Fremantle for her fifth war patrol 4 June 1944 , again returning to Japan ' s important lifelines in the South China Sea . Early 24 June she made an approach on a large convoy and fired three torpedoes , sinking a large tanker , " San Pedro Maru " , before escorting aircraft forced her to retire . Five days later the submarine came upon another large convoy , and by early 30 June was in position . Three successive attacks sent cargo ships " Matsukawa Maru " and " Tsukushima Maru " to the bottom . " Jack " returned to Fremantle 14 July 1944 . For her highly successful and aggressive first , third , and fifth war patrols , the submarine was awarded the coveted Presidential Unit Citation . Sixth and seventh war patrols , August – December 1944 . The submarine sailed from Fremantle 6 August 1944 to the Celebes Sea for her sixth war patrol . Attacking a convoy 29 August , she sank a small minesweeper ( " Minesweeper No 28 " ) and started in pursuit of a cargo ship . After her torpedo missed and she was raked with gunfire by her adversary , " Jack " deftly evaded the attacker and returned later to sink the " Mexico Maru " . " Jack " arrived at Fremantle following this patrol 24 September 1944 . She departed Fremantle once more 27 October 1944 , bound for the South China Sea . She attacked a coastal convoy 14 – 15 November , sinking cargo ships " Nichiei Maru " and " Yusan Maru " before shallow water forced her to break off the fight . The attrition of Japanese shipping was beginning to tell , and " Jack " found no more opportunities before ending her patrol at Pearl Harbor 24 December 1944 . From there she returned to San Francisco for a major overhaul . Eighth and ninth war patrols , April – August 1945 . The veteran submarine returned to Pearl Harbor 1 April 1945 , and departed on her eighth war patrol 26 April 1945 . With most Japanese shipping sunk or reluctant to venture into the sea lanes , her major job was to act as lifeguard for the massive carrier strikes and bomber missions against the Japanese mainland . The submarine returned to Guam for refit 18 June and set out again 12 July for her ninth and last war patrol . Stationed between Luzon and Okinawa , she again performed lifeguard duty until the Japanese surrender 15 August 1945 . Her ninth patrol ended at Midway Atoll 29 August . HHMS " Amfitriti " ( S - 17 ) . " Jack " sailed for the United States 5 September 1945 , steaming via Pearl Harbor and the Canal Zone to New York 3 October 1945 . She decommissioned at New London 8 June 1946 , and was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . She recommissioned briefly 20 December 1957 , to prepare for transfer to the government of Greece and after training operations was loaned to the Royal Hellenic Navy 21 April 1958 . She served as HHMS " Amfitriti " ( S - 17 ) ( also spelled " Amphitriti " ) , until 1967 , when she was returned by Greece and sunk as a target by the US 6th Fleet , 5 September 1967 , in the Mediterranean Sea . " Jack " was credited with sinking 76 , 687 tons of Japanese shipping . In addition to her Presidential Unit Citation ( US ) , " Jack " received seven battle star s for World War II service . All patrols , except for her second and ninth , were designated successful .