USS Tunny ( SS - 282 ) The USS " Tunny " ( SS / SSG / APSS / LPSS - 282 ) was a " Gato " - class submarine which saw service in World War II and in the Vietnam War . " Tunny " received nine battle star s and two Presidential Unit Citation s for her World War II service and five battle stars for her operations during the Vietnam War . " Tunny " was the first submarine of the United States Navy to be named for the tunny , any of several oceanic fishes resembling the mackerel , and her keel was laid down on 10 November 1941 at Vallejo , California , by the Mare Island Navy Yard . She was launched on 30 June 1942 sponsored by Mrs . Frederick G . Crisp , and commissioned on 1 September 1942 with Lieutenant Commander Elton Watters Grenfell in command . World War II patrols . First war patrol ( 12 January – 20 February 1943 ) . Following shakedown training out of California ports , " Tunny " arrived in the Hawaiian Islands on 12 December 1942 . After an additional week of training and two weeks of availability , she got underway from Submarine Base , Pearl Harbor , on 12 January 1943 for her first war patrol . For nearly a week , rough seas hampered the progress of the submarine . Then , as she approached the Ryukyu Islands , sea traffic increased . Sightings of sampans became frequent , and " Tunny " often dove to avoid detection by suspicious - looking trawlers . At 05 : 30 on 26 January , " Tunny " sighted masts and a stack over the horizon indicating a possible target . During the day , she lessened the distance between herself and her quarry ; and , near dusk , she closed a 400 - ton trawler . Finding the prey not worth a torpedo , the submarine surfaced and opened fire with her deck gun . Soon , darkness forced her to discontinue the attack , and she continued on her way . On 29 January , she began patrolling off Formosa . An hour and a half before midnight on 31 January , her periscope at last disclosed a worthwhile target , a freighter approaching Takao Ko . " Tunny " fired two " fish " from her bow tubes , but the freighter made a radical change of course which enabled her to evade the torpedoes . When her target counterattacked and dropped two depth charge s , " Tunny " broke off the attack and submerged . On 1 February , " Tunny " set her course for the China coast , running on the surface . As darkness fell on 2 February , she was only hours from Hong Kong , expecting to make landfall on Tamkan Island by daybreak . At 2130 , she made radar contact ; and , through the night , drew closer to her as yet unseen quarry . A light rain was falling and visibility was poor when , half an hour before morning twilight , " Tunny " began a radar approach . Rapidly shoaling water less than 20 fathoms ( 37 m ) deep and land masses on two sides of the submarine limited her maneuverability . At , the extreme phosphorescence of the water illuminated her wake and betrayed her presence to the enemy ship , which began signaling the unidentified intruder with a blinker light . Despite her detection , " Tunny " continued the approach until she was only from the target and then launched three torpedoes . The Japanese ship , now discernible as a loaded tanker , began to maneuver radically and opened fire on the submarine . Undeterred , " Tunny " submerged and continued the attack , firing a second volley from her stern tubes . One of these torpedoes hit the side of the tanker with a thud , but without explosion , and a small column of water erupted just forward of the tanker ' s bridge . Duds and prematures were a problem for American submarines early in 1943 , and verification that this torpedo had indeed hit the tanker , but failed to detonate , was forthcoming when members of the tanker ' s crew dashed to the spot in question and began examining the impact area with flashlights . Despite continuous fire from the ship and the proximity of land , " Tunny " managed to stay within firing range of her target by traveling at full speed . After the tanker successfully evaded " Tunny " ' s third salvo , the submarine fired a last torpedo from as the intended victim reached the passage into Hong Kong . Following this disappointing conclusion to her attack , " Tunny " dove in anticipation of search planes which appeared within two hours and continued their surveillance throughout the day . After dark on 3 February , while patrolling Lema Channel , " Tunny " made radar contact with a sizable target . On this very dark night , visual identification was impossible ; but , at 2005 , the submarine approached to and made a three - torpedo attack . The sound of the target ' s screws ceased immediately , and " Tunny " claimed to have sunk this unidentified ship which had been seen only on radar . When the submarine surfaced at daybreak the following day , the submariners discovered an unexpected visitor on deck — a six - foot black and yellow striped snake . On 4 February , " Tunny " set her course for Swatow , keeping to the shoreline in hopes of intercepting shipping . En route , she passed a large hospital ship well marked and brilliantly lighted . On 6 February and 7 February , " Tunny " patrolled off Swatow . Numerous junks plying the Formosa and Swatow banks at all hours added to the hazards imposed by shallow water , and an inoperable fathometer ( depthmeter ) made it impossible for " Tunny " to approach the shore closer than six miles ( 10 km ) . Early on the morning of 8 February , she went deep to avoid a plane revealed by radar . When she surfaced , she discovered a freighter off her beam . She shadowed the target during the day and , after sunset , made her approach and launched two torpedoes from a distance of . Due to bad runs , neither of these took effect , but they did alert the freighter , which opened fire on " Tunny " . The submarine fired two shots from her bow tubes , but one torpedo missed , and the other circled around to the right . " Tunny " then drew ahead for a surface approach and fired three more torpedoes . Two of these found the mark ; but one put on an amazing show , veering sharply first to the left and then to the right , before hitting the target . The " Kusayama Maru " , a heavily - laden , 5000 - ton cargo ship sank by the stern in 20 minutes ; " Tunny " had scored her first confirmed kill . As she proceeded on towards Takao harbor , a searchlight suddenly pierced the dark not far ahead , and " Tunny " dove to avoid detection . The next day , " Tunny " sighted a large transport . Undetected by two nearby patrol vessels and a plane , she made her approach and scored two hits on the transport with her remaining torpedoes . However , the ship did not sink and later left the area . On 11 February , " Tunny " set her course for Midway Island . En route , she used a combination of 20 millimeter and five - inch ( 127 mm ) gunfire to sink a 100 - ton fishing trawler . On 20 February , she made contact with the harbor escort and proceeded to moor at Midway Island , completing her first aggressive and successful patrol . She later continued on to Hawaii , arriving at Pearl Harbor on 24 February 1943 . Second war patrol ( 24 March – 23 April 1943 ) . After refitting by tender and three days of training , " Tunny " departed the Hawaiian Islands on 18 March , paused at Midway Island for replacement of her periscope , and got underway for Wake Island on 24 March . Later , Commander , Submarine Force , Pacific Fleet , would describe " Tunny " ' s second war patrol as belonging " in that exceptional category of one of the outstandingly aggressive patrols of the war . " On 27 March 1943 , " Tunny " arrived off Wake Island and operated within a circle all day , flooding down the decks awash when within of the island . Before dawn the next morning , she closed to within ten miles ( 16 km ) of the Japanese - held island and watched as its awakening occupants turned on their lights . A motor torpedo boat and two patrol boats passed by less than from the submarine without detecting her presence . Trailing these vessels , " Tunny " came upon a cargo ship , and all hands scrambled to battle stations . Shortly after sunrise , the submarine launched her attack , firing two torpedoes from a range of . The first found its mark and blew the stern off the enemy ship , but the buoyancy of the lightly loaded vessel kept it afloat . " Tunny " was maneuvering at periscope depth to avoid depth charges dropped across her bow at a range of when the first of several aerial bombs fell close aboard . The submarine dove to . When she attempted to surface an hour later , " Tunny " was again driven down by an aerial adversary . Later in the morning , traveling submerged at , she set her course for her assigned patrol area . On 31 March , she entered the patrol area in the Caroline Islands , and , on 1 April 1943 , she conducted submerged patrols off North Pass Island , Truk , and later in the day on the Japanese naval base ' s western approaches . Failing to find any action in these areas , she surfaced late in the afternoon on 2 April and set her course for the channel between Puluwat Island and Pulap Island . Later that day , as she patrolled off Alet Island , " Tunny " made radar contact with a ship dead ahead . Heading in for a flank attack , she sighted a " Momo " - class destroyer astern of her chosen target . " Tunny " launched three torpedoes from and noted a hit in the forward hold of the Japanese cargo ship before diving to to avoid the attention of the destroyer . Minutes later , a series of nine depth charges tumbled down in search of the submarine , but exploded at too shallow a depth to achieve their purpose . Some 15 minutes later , as " Tunny " started up to take a look , she was jolted by a deep - set depth charge which caught her at , but caused only minor damage — a small price to pay for the sinking of " Toyo Maru Number 2 " . Before midnight , the destroyer gave up the search , and the submarine surfaced and set her course for the Namonuito group to the north . Late on 4 April , " Tunny " headed west to intercept traffic reported north of McLaughlin Bank . On 7 April , while patrolling in that area , the submarine took advantage of a rain squall to approach within of a radar - tracked target . She then launched two torpedoes at the " Kosei Maru " , an 8000 - ton passenger - cargo ship , scoring a hit amidships and one aft , and dove immediately to escape the inevitable wrath of the escorting " Akatsuki " class destroyer which had been patrolling just ahead of the now - stricken transport . The ensuing depth charge counterattack continued until the destroyer lost contact with the submarine in a heavy rain squall . Having added a third cargo ship to her list of kills , " Tunny " retired from the scene of the attack . On 8 April , the submarine surfaced in a downpour to continue patrols north of West Fayu Island . Later that day , she set her course to intercept a convoy reported to be southwest of Truk . At 22 : 28 on 9 April , she made radar contact with a formation less than three miles ( 5 km ) distant and went to four engines to maneuver into position for an attack . In a few minutes , the formation changed course , putting " Tunny " in position to slow down to two - thirds speed and head in , flooded down to decks awash to avoid detection . As the convoy became visible , " Tunny " ' s commanding officer , Commander James A . Scott , could hardly believe his luck . On the starboard bow was a large aircraft carrier , to port two auxiliary carriers , and on each bow of the formation , a destroyer . Given this perfect setup , " Tunny " maneuvered to swing the bow on twin targets , but her plans were disrupted when three small boats similar to motor torpedo boats appeared only off her port bow . " Tunny " quickly dove to , turned right , ninety degrees , and launched four torpedoes from her stern tubes at one of the auxiliary carriers from a distance of . As she turned her attention to other targets , four torpedo explosions sounded through the night . Signaling from her new target gave executive officer Lieutenant Commander Roger Keithly at the conn a final check on the target ' s bearing , and " Tunny " released a salvo of six torpedoes from her bow tubes at the large carrier . Her surprise attack completed , " Tunny " immediately dove amidst the cacophony of depth charges and churning screws . The depth charges rocked the submarine but did no damage ; and the crackling and grinding noises heard throughout the ship , as well as on sonar , led those on board the submarine to believe that their " fish " had found their mark . In all this noise and confusion , " Tunny " unobtrusively slipped away to the north . Later , examination of Japanese records showed that this attack was ruined by prematures and duds , and that damage to the enemy had been minor . However , the skill and daring with which the raid was conducted remained an example of excellence and prompted the Commander , Submarine Force , Pacific Fleet , to commend " Tunny " ' s commander for his actions on this patrol as " an illustrious example of professional competence and military aggressiveness . " An hour and a half after midnight on 10 April , the submarine surfaced and set her course to return to her patrol area . While approaching North Pass about out of Truk on 11 April , " Tunny " dove when a searchlight suddenly broke the night , ahead on the starboard bow . No depth charges followed , and the source of the light — not sizable enough to be detected on radar — was presumed to be a small boat . Early on the afternoon of 11 April , a contact , at first thought to be a patrol boat , turned out to be a Japanese submarine . The designation symbol of the enemy submarine was emblazoned on her sail , spelling out " I - 9 " in large white characters . Boldly taking the offensive , " Tunny " fired her three remaining forward " fish " at the submarine , only to see the vessel turn away and parallel the course of the torpedoes . " Tunny " then began her own evasive procedures , going deep and away from the Japanese submersible — and none too soon . Minutes later , she tracked two torpedoes which passed harmlessly astern . An enemy plane added bombs to " Tunny " ' s immediate concerns , but she rigged for silent running and weathered the attack by remaining submerged until after nightfall . That same evening , as " Tunny " lay on the surface in the bright moonlight charging her batteries , she made radar contact with a ship moving at . Within minutes , the contact materialized into an enemy destroyer steaming on the starboard bow . " Tunny " dove to and began to swing for a stern shot when the belligerent destroyer increased speed to a thundering and headed in from a distance of less than . As the submarine dove for , the explosions of nine depth charges fairly close by pursued her . Silent running and a quick reversal of course eventually shook off the menacing destroyer , and " Tunny " returned to the surface after the moon set , noting only minor damage from the attack . In the days that followed , " Tunny " patrolled off East Fayu Island and north of Mogami Bank before setting her course for Saipan on 15 April . Her surveillance of Magicienne Harbor disclosed that it was not in use . Seeking targets , the submarine passed through Saipan Channel and later discovered two cargo ships in Garapan Harbor . Prevented from attacking by the presence of intervening reefs , " Tunny " departed the area and moored in the lagoon at Midway Island on 23 April for a welcome rest . So aggressive had been her handling on this eventful patrol that not one of her firing ranges exceeded . She was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for this outstanding patrol . Third war patrol ( 27 April – 14 July 1943 ) . After refitting at Midway Island , " Tunny " continued on to Hawaii for additional repairs . She departed Pearl Harbor on 25 May 1943 and , after fueling at Johnston Island , got underway on 27 April for Eniwetok . Her first contact with the enemy on this third war patrol came early in the afternoon on 31 May when she dove to avoid a radar contact whose speed identified it as a plane . As " Tunny " passed , a bomb exploded over her after torpedo room breaking lights and thermometers , flooding the after torpedo tubes , and causing miscellaneous other damage . An unsatisfactory makeshift repair of the broken bridge speaker prompted a note in the war patrol report that " the only dependable communication system was the open hatch and a powerful set of lungs . " Other repairs were completed before nightfall , and " Tunny " continued on her way . She patrolled off Eniwetok for two days ; then moved on to her assigned area , arriving at Truk on 6 June . As this patrol progressed , " Tunny " discovered that antisubmarine action by the Japanese at Truk had shifted to aerial detection . On 7 June , her first day of patrol , she was harassed by a single float biplane and an ineffectual Japanese destroyer . " Tunny " found the enemy biplanes a great nuisance , since her radar detected them late or not at all . Soon she came to regard the aircraft as an arch - enemy which thwarted attacks on convoys by hovering overhead and guiding possible targets around the submarine , out of firing range . On 14 June , as " Tunny " cruised on the surface following a submerged patrol east of Murilo Island in the Hall group , one of her lookouts sighted a convoy bearing 090 degrees . Made up of two small freighters and a large transport and accompanied by two destroyers , the convoy was a tempting target . As " Tunny " made her approach , an unobserved escort vessel suddenly challenged her with a searchlight and several rounds of four - inch ( 102 mm ) fire which fell astern . The submarine dove to but continued her approach . She then surfaced and launched four torpedoes at the transport from a range of . Three explosions and a tremendous cloud of smoke and water over the target indicated that " Tunny " had damaged the enemy vessel . The submarine dove to avoid the escorts , but no depth charging ensued . Shortly after midnight , as she ran on the surface attempting to intercept the convoy , an undetected vessel fired shots which splashed astern . " Tunny " dove again . As June wore on , " Tunny " continued patrols as far as Saipan without success . On 26 June , she conducted routine and photographic reconnaissance of Saipan Harbor and Tinian Channel and , later that day , surfaced to patrol the Truk - Empire shipping lanes east of Rota Island . Patrolling off Harnum Point and Rota harbor on 28 June , " Tunny " sighted a converted gunboat zigzagging madly , went to battle stations , and dispatched the enemy vessel with a salvo of three torpedoes from . Sighting an armed trawler bearing down on her , the submarine dove . Those on board felt the concussion of three sharp explosions close aboard , perhaps from aerial bombs , as " Tunny " went deep and rigged for silent running , maneuvering to avoid the trawler . Seconds later , two heavy explosions marked the death throes of " Tunny " ' s most recent victim . " Tunny " was chased down again by the trawler when she attempted to surface an hour later . Returning to periscope depth some three hours after the attack , her commanding officer at the periscope was relieved to find no sign of the trawler , but his relief quickly turned to alarm when the periscope revealed a close - up of the bomb bay of a Mitsubishi Type 97 at , directly overhead . This time " Tunny " waited four hours before surfacing again from Guam . She patrolled off Guam until 4 July when she received orders to leave the area . Early the next day , she set her course for Johnston Island . Japanese aircraft continued to badger the submarine for two days as she proceeded toward Hawaii . After taking on fuel and provisions at Johnston Island on 11 July , she completed her third patrol at Pearl Harbor on 14 July . Fourth war patrol ( 10 August – 8 September 1943 ) . After refitting and three days of training , " Tunny " departed Hawaii on 5 August for Midway Island . She arrived at Midway Island on 9 August and was again underway on 10 August . On 18 August , she sighted Pagan Island and Alamagan Island ; and , on 22 August , she entered her assigned area in the Palau Islands and began patrols . Early in the morning of 24 August , she sighted a six - ship convoy as it emerged from Toagel Mlungui Pass . " Tunny " trailed the convoy until she could obtain a good firing position and , at moonrise on 25 August , she submerged to and began her approach . At 01 : 40 , she launched three torpedoes and then another two in rapid succession . She then ducked her periscope and dove to avoid being rammed by the first target . The convoy passed overhead as " Tunny " dove deep in expectation of depth charges . She heard her torpedoes explode at the end of their run , but the absence of depth charges was both welcome and unexpected . Near dawn , " Tunny " made another attack , launching six torpedoes at ships of the convoy without success . Meanwhile , a destroyer escort had joined the convoy . Alerted to " Tunny " ' s presence , she now bore down on the submarine . " Tunny " dove , and , for the next two hours , the enemy ship remained overhead pinging and tracking . The destroyer escort dropped two patterns of six depth charges close by the submarine but finally gave up the search . At noon , " Tunny " came to periscope depth and , finding no sign of the convoy , set her course for Toagel Mlungui , securing from battle stations after an exhausting 15 hours . At mid - morning on 26 August , she spotted two vessels with a submarine chaser escort approaching Toagel Mlungui Pass and launched a five - torpedo attack . As " Tunny " dove , the screws of the first ship were heard to stop ; and , shortly thereafter , two depth charges exploded overhead . Two minutes later , another pattern of depth charges exploded all around the submarine . A small fire broke out in the maneuvering room , causing main power to be lost momentarily . In order to check the fire , the main motors were stopped for one minute ; then started again . Although the fire was small , dense smoke from burning insulating varnish made it difficult at first to assess the damage . Meanwhile , " Tunny " ' s bow planes jammed and the submarine climbed to , then went into a steep glide which took her down to before control was regained . Within five minutes , coolly efficient damage control parties had restored operating conditions to nearly normal , and the submarine began her retirement to the southwest . Once again the sound of screws caused tense moments for those on board " Tunny " , but this time no depth charges fell . Early that evening , " Tunny " surfaced and headed away from the heavily - traveled lanes she had been patrolling in order to assess her damages and effect repairs . Inspection disclosed considerable damage to the bow , ripped - up plating aft of the torpedo room , and sheared - off rivets and bolts . The torpedo room pressure hull was badly dished in between frames ; and this damage in turn immobilized the bow plane tilting gears . The explosions had jammed the gyro spindles in the stern torpedo tubes , impaired the usefulness of sound and radar gear , and caused other damage visible throughout the ship . Sailors inspecting topside found fragments of the destructive depth charges scattered over the deck . For two days , her crew labored to restore her to order and make the necessary repairs . Having done everything within his means to restore " Tunny " to normal operating condition , her commanding officer found her still short of combat readiness . Her bow planes , despite all efforts , were still inoperative ; her bow buoyancy tank unusable ; and various other problems , which could not be remedied at sea , remained . Thus , on 29 August 1943 , she departed her patrol area leaving these hunting grounds to other submarines in better condition . The war - scarred submarine moored at Pearl Harbor on 8 September . Fifth war patrol ( 27 February – 11 April 1944 ) . After a preliminary assessment of battle damage , " Tunny " departed Pearl Harbor on 11 September 1943 . She arrived at Hunters Point , San Francisco , California on 17 September for overhaul and repairs and remained there until 2 February 1944 . Then , repairs and tests completed , she departed the West Coast . " Tunny " returned to Hawaii a week later , underwent voyage repairs and training , and departed Pearl Harbor for her fifth war patrol on 27 February . She stopped at Midway Island on 2 March , got underway the next day for the Palau Islands , and entered her patrol area on 15 March . On 20 March , a persistent observation plane kept " Tunny " down for three hours off the entrance to Toagel Mlungui and dropped eight light bombs without damaging the submarine . In the following days , the submarine patrolled the northern and western approaches to the islands . On 22 March , " Tunny " ' s radar picked up what proved to be a large convoy . Day was breaking , and " Tunny " was maneuvering for a position ahead when an escorting destroyer appeared on the radar at . The enemy soon sighted the submarine and challenged her with a blinker . " Tunny " took advantage of a nearby rain squall for concealment and continued to close the convoy , keeping a watchful eye on the destroyer . Despite bad visibility and the pinging of the escort , " Tunny " continued her approach and soon found herself in the midst of a group of tankers and cargo ships . Choosing two heavily loaded cargo ships for her targets , she launched a six - torpedo attack and heard or observed hits on both . Immediately , attention on board " Tunny " was diverted when a small tanker nearly collided with the submarine . " Tunny " now obtained a setup on a destroyer moving at high speed across her stern , fired four Mark 18 torpedoes , then dove quickly even as depth charges from a nearby trawler exploded on the port quarter . During the next four hours , the Japanese ships dropped 87 depth charges in an effort to finish off the submarine but without effect . Late in the day , " Tunny " surfaced and began a futile search for stragglers and cripples from the morning ' s attack . She found only debris and an oil slick . At 21 : 19 on 23 March , while patrolling off Angaur Island , " Tunny " picked up a radar contact which she identified by sight as a large I - class submarine . For nearly an hour and a half , " Tunny " and the enemy submarine maneuvered for position , each attempting to prevent the other from obtaining a shot . Then , at 2324 , " Tunny " launched four torpedoes from a range of , swung hard to starboard to prevent a collision , and dove to avoid a possible return attack . Before the hatch was closed , two hits were heard and felt and a flash was seen inside " Tunny " ' s conning tower . For one terrible moment , observers on board " Tunny " feared that their own submarine had been hit . As " Tunny " dove to and began circling the area , the screws of the enemy submarine stopped , and a crackling racket began and continued for an hour . When the noise ceased , " Tunny " surfaced and cleared the area , but " I - 42 " had met her end . " Tunny " returned to waters off Toagel Mlungui and resumed patrols . On the morning of 29 March , she observed a large number of small vessels leaving Malakal Harbor , none worth an attack . Apparently , the enemy had somehow received word of the Fifth Fleet ' s impending bombing attack on Japanese installations in the Caroline Islands and made a desperate attempt to clear the area . Late in the afternoon , a larger formation appeared : the 63 , 000 - ton battleship " Musashi " , the light cruiser " Ōyodo " , and three destroyer s , also fleeing the expected aerial bombardment . After a daring approach , " Tunny " fired six torpedoes at the battleship from her bow tubes . The torpedoes passed directly under an alert destroyer of the screen which immediately hoisted flags to warn the battleship , swung parallel to the torpedo tracks , and made a run on the submarine . " Tunny " went deep and ran for the southwest while the destroyer dropped 38 depth charges in a short , but concentrated counterattack . One torpedo had found its mark on the battleship ' s bow , which caused flooding of the hydrophone compartment and 18 casualties . Toward sunset , the submarine lost contact with the formation . Later that night , she encountered what she thought to be the same force and was held down for two hours by one of the escorting ships . Hits by two of " Tunny " ' s torpedoes had damaged but failed to slow the powerful battleship . However , " Musashi " was still forced to return to port for repairs and upgrades , which kept her out of action for most of April . At 02 : 00 on 30 March , " Tunny " arrived on station to begin lifeguard duties for the Fifth Fleet ' s air attack on the Palau Islands . At 07 : 00 , a series of explosions followed by the appearance of heavy smoke from the vicinity of the harbor indicated that American planes were finding their mark . During the morning , more than 100 planes passed over the submarine on their return from the strike . Then , as " Tunny " circled on station shortly after noon , two American torpedo bombers approached . One sheared off for a strafing attack which was not completed ; the other went into a steep glide and released a bomb from an altitude of . Incredulous watchers on the submarine saw the bomb cross over the deck gun on the bow , pass the bridge at what appeared to be no more than arm ' s length , and strike the water with a tremendous impact , only ten yards to starboard of the forward engine room . The entire ship lifted with a snap as if it had collided with an underwater object , and an explosion followed some seconds later , throwing personnel and gear in all directions in the maneuvering and after torpedo rooms . Damage to the main control cubicle and to " Tunny " ' s remaining torpedoes resulted . " Tunny " completed repairs during the night , and the next morning manned her lifeguard station as before , only a little more wary of " friendly " aircraft . " Tunny " departed the Palau Islands on 2 April , stopped at Milne Bay on 7 April , and arrived in Australia on 11 April . She received the Presidential Unit Citation for this patrol . Sixth war patrol ( 29 April – 29 June 1944 ) . Following refit , the submarine departed Brisbane on 29 April and set her course for New Guinea . She underwent voyage repairs at Milne Bay , then proceeded via Langemak Bay to her patrol area in the Mariana Islands . She arrived in the patrol area on 11 May and , in the days that followed , encountered many enemy planes as she patrolled off Saipan and Guam . On 17 May , she received a report from submarine of a convoy in the area and set out to intercept it . Late in the afternoon , she sighted the smoke of her quarry ; and , just after sunset , the masts came into view . The convoy consisted of three cargo ships escorted by a like number of destroyers . Racing against fading twilight , " Tunny " made her approach ; launched a spread of three torpedoes at the second ship of the column ; then rapidly fired three more at the last cargo ship . Before the converging escorts forced her down , " Tunny " observed that a hit had left the last ship of the column down by the stern , emitting clouds of dense black smoke . Although the escorting vessels dropped 81 depth charges , none fell close , and " Tunny " withdrew to the southeast , having scored her sixth kill of the war , a 4900 - ton cargo ship , the " Nichiwa Maru " . Shortly after midnight , " Tunny " surfaced and saw an ill - fated cargo ship , the victim of " Sand Lance " , ablaze from stem to stern . Frequent minor explosions punctuated the night as the ship went down in the darkness . As " Tunny " continued patrols in the Mariana Islands , she sighted numerous aircraft and noted explosions and burning ships — apparently the work of sister ship . At this time , however , planes attached to enemy convoys seemed effective in detecting " Tunny " and routing convoys around her , out of range of her torpedoes . On 8 June , she rendezvoused with submarines and to form a coordinated attack group , the " Blair Blasters . " The three submarines formed a scouting line for a patrol across the western Pacific to the South China Sea . " Tunny " passed through Balintang Channel on 14 June and sighted Luzon the next morning . While returning through Balintang Channel on 16 June , she made a surface approach on a small sampan and sank it with gunfire . She conducted patrols in the Philippine Sea until 22 June when she parted company with the attack group . On 29 June , she fueled at Midway Island ; then proceeded to Oahu , having traveled over on her sixth war patrol . Seventh war patrol ( 4 August – 17 September 1944 ) . After refitting , she departed Pearl Harbor on 4 August 1944 as a member of a coordinated attack group called " Ed ' s Eradicators " . With wolfpack members and , she set her course , via Midway Island , for the South China Sea . She arrived in her patrol area on 25 August . Her first action came hours after midnight on 31 August when the wolf pack attacked a convoy . " Queenfish " was the first to score a hit , and " Tunny " witnessed the explosion of a tanker , the victim of her sister submarine . As " Tunny " maneuvered in the bright moonlight , she was suddenly startled by gunfire , which seemed to those on board to come from all directions . She dove and avoided damage from the depth charges which soon followed . Later on the same day , a hit by " Barb " alerted the convoy ' s air escort to " Tunny " ' s presence ; and she was forced down again without opportunity to launch her torpedoes . Time after time , the submarine surfaced only to be forced down by escorting planes as the attack on the convoy continued into the evening . A second disappointing day came on the heels of the first . " Tunny " patrolled submerged for most of 1 September in order to avoid enemy aircraft . Late in the afternoon , she was advancing westward on a scouting line formed by the wolf pack , when she sighted a plane dead ahead and about six miles ( 10 km ) distant . She immediately began to dive , but 90 seconds later , as she passed , two bombs hit close aboard aft , sending the ship upward at an eight degree angle and causing extensive damage . As the third and fourth bomb exploded , " Tunny " was already heading for to assess her damages . Inspection disclosed that the bombs had dished in the hull plating in the vicinity of the after torpedo room and the maneuvering room , causing a leak in a vent riser . Less than ten minutes after the Japanese plane had been sighted , the commanding officer decided to discontinue the patrol . Throughout the ship , sheared off valves and bolts , damaged meters , clocks , and gauges attested to the force of the bomb ' s explosion . In addition , all three radio antennas were down , a leak in her pressure hull had been aggravated , and " Tunny " ' s rudder action indicated possible damage . She set her course for Balintang Channel and surfaced late in the day on 2 September . " Tunny " continued to sight Japanese airplanes as she made her way to Hawaii . She completed this patrol on 17 September at Pearl Harbor . Eighth war patrol ( 3 February – 14 April 1945 ) . " Tunny " departed Oahu for California on 20 September and on 26 September she arrived at Hunter ' s Point for battle damage repairs and an overhaul . She returned to Hawaii in January 1945 and , after a training period departed Pearl Harbor on 3 February for her eighth war patrol . On 14 February , she entered Tanapag Harbor and moored to submarine tender for repairs to her main engine . Later in the month , she conducted sonar tests out of that port . On 5 March , she departed Saipan and , in the days that followed , was slowed by heavy seas as she proceeded to her patrol area in the Ryukyu Islands . On 13 March and 14 March , she conducted a special reconnaissance mission off the Nansei Shoto in preparation for landings planned for Okinawa on 1 April . On 14 March , " Tunny " plotted over 230 mines which she detected on sonar as she traveled through the hazardous waters at . On 15 March , all hands breathed a sigh of relief as " Tunny " got underway for her patrol area , her special mission safely and successfully completed . Her pursuit of a distant convoy ended in disappointment on 18 March , when a change of course allowed the cargo ships and their escort to slip away from " Tunny " around sunset . For two days , the submarine patrolled off Amami Ōshima ; then , on 23 March , she took up a lifeguard station . Days later , as " Tunny " searched for a downed flier , a twin - float enemy plane took her by surprise and dropped two bombs . One fell quite close but caused only minor damage to the submarine . As the month drew to its close , " Tunny " rescued two fliers from aircraft carrier and one from as those ships took part in the assault on Okinawa . On 1 April , " Tunny " completed her lifeguard duties and set her course for Midway Island . En route , she sank a 200 - ton lugger with her deck gun . After stopping at Midway Island , she arrived at Oahu on 14 April . Ninth ( last ) war patrol ( 14 April – 6 July 1945 ) . Following refitting and a week of sonar and approach training , " Tunny " departed Pearl Harbor on 14 April for her ninth war patrol . She stopped at Guam for repairs and additional sonar exercises , then got underway on 28 May . Together with submarines and , " Tunny " formed the second group of " Hydeman ' s Hellcats " known as " Pierce ' s Polecats . " On 2 June , " Tunny " passed through the Nansei Shoto and , as she approached Kyūshū two days later , encountered increasing small boat traffic . On 5 June , " Tunny " passed through Korea Strait , repeating the hair - raising task of mine detection by sonar , this time in Nishi Suido . She plotted over 80 mines ; then continued on to conduct patrols on the western shore of Honshū . Operating in the supposedly inviolable waters of the Sea of Japan , the wolf pack attacked shipping and made exploratory attempts to enter Japanese harbors . Late on 9 June , " Tunny " attacked a cargo vessel . One torpedo hit the enemy vessel with a thud but failed to explode , and " Tunny " discontinued the attack . In the harbor entering phase of the patrol , " Tunny " closed the breakwater of Etomo Ko to 8 , 000 yards ( 7 . 3 km ) shortly before midnight on 12 June . Town and waterfront lights provided illumination , but no suitable target could be found , and the submarine cleared the harbor before midnight . A few minutes later , " Tunny " approached within of the harbor mouth at Uppuri Wan but discreetly withdrew when searchlights located and then brilliantly illuminated the intruder . On 16 June , " Tunny " sighted numerous rafts filled with the Japanese survivors of a successful action by " Bonefish " and later took prisoner a Japanese chief petty officer who had escaped from the sinking ship . On the following day , as " Tunny " and " Bonefish " closed a radar - located target , " Tunny " suddenly found herself the object of gunfire , with the closest shot falling only off her port beam . She quickly changed course and eluded both the gunfire and the depth charges which followed . On 19 June , shallow coastal water foiled " Tunny " ' s attack on a 4 , 000 - ton cargo ship . " Tunny " rendezvoused with " Skate " on 23 June to depart the Sea of Japan . She remained off Hokkaidō for two days on the chance that she might be able to aid " Bonefish " , missing since her request to make a daylight submerged patrol of Toyama Wan some days earlier . On 27 June , " Tunny " discontinued her vigil ; proceeded via the Kuril Islands and Midway Island ; and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 6 July . The submarine then made her way back to the west coast . " Tunny " was decommissioned on 13 December 1945 and placed in the Mare Island Group , 19th Fleet . Post - war missile testing and deterrent patrols . Communist aggression in Korea placed new demands on the resources of the Navy and led to " Tunnys being placed in commission , in reserve , on 28 February 1952 . She saw no service at this time , however , and was decommissioned in April 1952 . On 6 March 1953 , she was placed in commission for the third time . Converted to carry guided missiles , she was reclassified as SSG - 282 " ' and was armed with the Regulus I nuclear cruise missile for nearly 12 years . In this role , " Tunny " was equipped with a hangar housing two missiles and a launcher on the after deck . One of the limitations of Regulus was that the firing submarine had to surface , the missile then being rolled out onto the launcher and fired . Regulus I also required guidance from submarines or other platforms after firing . In 1955 , a second World War II submarine , USS Barbero ( SS - 317 ) , was also converted to fire Regulus I . For the first four of those years , she operated out of Port Hueneme , contributing to the development of the Regulus missile system . Except for a short period of type training , " Tunny " engaged entirely in the launching and guidance of Regulus missiles for purposes of missile evaluation in the development of the system . In 1957 , she shifted her base of operations to Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , bringing Regulus to initial operational capability , where she conducted the first submarine deterrent patrols and fired exercise missiles . Vietnam operations . In May 1965 , the Regulus missile system was phased out , having been superseded by the Polaris missile , and " Tunny " was redesignated with hull classification symbol SS - 282 . She remained in the Hawaiian operating area until the end of the year , conducting training exercises and providing various other services . In 1966 , she was converted to a troop - carrying submarine and redesignated with hull classification symbol APSS - 282 , being re - equipped with a deck shelter for small amphibious vehicles and other equipment . In February 1967 , " Tunny " began missions in unconventional warfare , operating off the coast of Vietnam . She conducted reconnaissance in preparation for amphibious assault operations and gathered navigational and oceanographic information . Ideally suited for transporting small teams for specialized operations as well as for gathering information , she participated in Operation Deckhouse VI . On 1 January 1968 , the veteran submarine was reclassified LPSS - 282 . She was decommissioned on 28 June 1969 , and , on 30 June 1969 , her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register . She was sunk as a target on 19 June 1970 .