USS Picuda ( SS - 382 ) USS " Picuda " ( SS - 382 ) , a " Balao " - class submarine , was originally named Obispo , making her the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the obispo , a spotted sting ray . Construction and launching . Her keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery , Maine , on 15 March 1943 . She was launched on 12 July 1943 sponsored by Mrs . Robert H . English . On 24 September 1942 , SS - 382 was renamed , making her the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the picuda , a great barracuda , up to seven feet long , of the Caribbean Sea and the tropical western Atlantic Ocean , known for its voracious and ferocious nature . She was commissioned on 16 October 1943 with Lieutenant Commander Albert Raborn in command . " Picuda " remained in the Portsmouth Navy Yard to complete fitting out until 18 November when she commenced underway trials . Torpedo tube trials were completed off Newport , Rhode Island on 14 December through 16 December , and she shifted to the submarine base at New London , Connecticut for final training exercises . She put to sea from New London 1 January 1944 , reported for duty with the Pacific Fleet at Balboa , Canal Zone , on 13 January and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 27 January , joining the Pacific Fleet Submarine Force as a unit of Submarine Division 201 , Submarine Squadron 20 . Pacific War . " Picuda " got underway from Pearl Harbor for her first war patrol on 17 February , setting course for waters off the Caroline Islands , and entering her designated patrol area on 29 February . In an area not far from Truk , she sank 2672 - ton ex - gunboat " Shinyo Maru " on 2 March , going deep to evade a string of 15 depth charge s dropped by searching corvettes . On 18 March , " Picuda " changed course to patrol along the Saipan - Palau shipping lanes . She scored hits on a large enemy tanker that afternoon but was held down by two destroyer s while the target escaped . She was off Yap Island a few minutes after midnight of 19 March , and sent 1504 - ton freighter " Hoko Maru " to the bottom with two torpedo hits . Eleven days later she closed two freighters under escort of two destroyers off the western coast of Yap Island and let go five torpedoes at the largest merchantman . The first hit stopped the target dead in the water and a second torpedo tore off the port quarter capsized the 5873 - ton cargo ship " Atlantic Maru " . Two destroyers came down the torpedo tracks to hover over " Picuda " and she was shaken by 26 exploding depth charges before she escaped . With only one torpedo worth firing she returned to Midway Island on 5 April . Upon completion of her refit , she took aboard student officers and men for indoctrination training exercises off Midway , from 28 April to 30 April . Three days later she formed a wolf - pack with submarines and . " Picuda " put to sea from Midway with the wolf - pack 4 May to conduct her second war patrol in waters off Formosa . On 22 May , she sent four bow shots streaking to sink 1200 - ton river gunboat " Hashidate " . She also severely damaged 3172 - ton cargo ship " Tsukauba Maru " with the same salvo . The latter enemy was polished off by land - based aircraft from the United States Army Air Corps the following day . On 2 June , " Picuda " closed a convoy of twelve ships hugging the coast of Formosa . After sending her contact report to the other submarines of her wolf - pack , she slipped between two of the three leading escorts and pressed home an attack on a large tanker . Three hits were heard as all escorts made for " Picuda " . She skillfully maneuvered clear and sustained no damage from the many depth charges which exploded on all sides and above from eight enemy vessels during the next hour . She continued to patrol the Formosa coast until 4 June then passed off Batan Island and eastward of the Nansei Shoto to a point northward of Chichi Jima by 14 June . Two days later she pointed her bow for Midway where she arrived 22 June . She put to sea the next day to arrive at Pearl Harbor 27 June . After the end of the second war patrol , Raborn was replaced as skipper of " Picuda " by Commander Glynn R . Donaho . " Picuda " , in wolf - pack with sister ships and , departed Pearl Harbor for her third war patrol 23 July in waters of the Luzon Strait between Formosa and Luzon . On 25 August , " Picuda " spotted ten ships hugging the coast some off the beach of Luzon . Slipping past five escorts , and with three enemy patrol planes overhead , she sent six torpedoes streaking to sink 1943 - ton cargo ship " Kotoku Maru " , then skillfully maneuvered for a down - the - throat shot that spelled the doom of 1270 ton pursuing Japanese destroyer " Yūnagi " . " Picuda " probed deeper in the interior of Luzon Strait on 16 September , for a bold daylight attack on an eight - ship convoy , guarded by three destroyers and air cover . She sank 5975 - ton cargo ship " Tokushima Maru " and scored hits for unknown damage to two other freighters . Searching the southern border of her assigned patrol area , " Picuda " found another convoy hugging the north coast of Luzon on 21 September and sent 1948 - ton freighter " Awaji Maru " to the bottom . " Picuda " made rendezvous with and , then set course in company with these two submarines to terminate her third war patrol in the lagoon of Majuro Atoll on 3 October . At Majuro , " Picuda , " now under the command of Evan T . Shepard , her final wartime skipper , formed a new wolf - pack with " Queenfish " and " Barb " , and departed 27 October . Topping off with fuel at Saipan , 1 November and 2 November , the wolf pack set course to range over the northern waters of the East China Sea , westward of Kyūshū . " Picuda " sent 9433 - ton passenger - cargo vessel Mayasan Maru to the bottom of the sea 17 November in the area southwest of Nagasaki . On 23 November , closing a convoy off the Korean Archipelago and stealing between two lead escorts , " Picuda " sank 6933 - ton freighter " Shuyo Maru " and 5296 - ton passenger - cargo ship " Fukuju Maru " . She departed her patrol area six days later and returned from her fourth patrol to moor in Apra Harbor , Guam , on 2 December . On 29 December , " Picuda " put to sea for her fifth war patrol in the Formosa Straits and the East China Sea off the east coast of China from Shanghai to Kam Kit . On 7 January 1945 , " Picuda " received a contact report from " Barb " and closed a convoy in the straits of Formosa to inflict severe damage with four torpedo hits on 10 , 045 - ton tanker " Munakata Maru " . On the afternoon of 8 January , she again received a convoy contact report from " Barb " and slipped between two escorts of the starboard screen about four hours before midnight to pick out two large passenger - freighters . Three bow tubes fired at each target resulted in one hit on each . She swung and fired stern shots at a tanker , then discovered an escort dead ahead , range , and was forced to clear the area . The 2854 - ton coastal tanker " Hikoshima Maru " , hit by both " Picuda " and " Barb " , was disabled and ran aground . The freighter " Meiho Maru " had a similar experience , and severe damage was inflicted on 6600 - ton freighter " Hisagawa Maru " as well as 6516 - ton coastal tanker " Manju Maru " . " Picuda " having flashed a contact report as she cleared the area , set course for lifeguard station in support of the Third Fleet airstrikes on Formosa . In the early morning darkness of 29 January , " Picuda " made out at least three large ships in the rain and commenced tracking . The rain slacked as she approached dead ahead of a troop transport , overlapped by a freighter . One hit on the transport and two hits on the freighter were observed by " Picuda " ’ s officer of the deck . The transport , almost dead in the water , commenced shrill whistle blasts and the mist dropped down to reveal the freighter enveloped in a huge cloud of steam and smoke . An enemy float plane forced " Picuda " to abandon the attack . The victim sunk in this attack was the 5497 - ton passenger - cargo ship " Clyde Maru " . " Picuda " reached Tanapag Harbor , Saipan 5 – 6 February and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 15 February . " Picuda " spent much of her sixth war patrol on lifeguard station off the coast of China . She got underway from Pearl Harbor 15 March and cleared the replenishment base of Apra Harbor , Guam on 29 March . She entered her patrol area off Kii Suido on 2 April for uneventful lifeguard duty in support of B - 29 Superfortress strikes . On 6 May , " Picuda " made rendezvous with sister ship off the Nansei Shoto and received five crewmen from an Army B - 29 bomber and debarked these survivors at Tanapag Harbor on 10 May , transferring them to the Headquarters of the Twenty - First Bomber Command . After voyage repairs alongside submarine tender , she departed 11 May for the East Coast of the United States . She stopped at Pearl Harbor , San Francisco , California , and transited the Panama Canal to arrive at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , Kittery , Maine , on 22 June . " Picuda " received six battle star s for World War II service . Post - war . " Picuda " was assigned to Submarine Division 201 , Squadron 20 , U . S . Atlantic Fleet . She remained in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for major overhaul until 18 October . She shifted to the Submarine Base at New London on 31 October for duty as a training ship for the Submarine School . " Picuda " put to sea from New London 12 November for a training cruise which included visits to Key West , Florida , and Havana , Cuba . Upon her return to New London , 26 November , she was assigned to the New London Group of 16 November ( Inactive ) Fleet . She shifted to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on 12 December to commence preservation incidental to being placed in inactive status . On 15 January 1946 , " Picuda " was ordered to cease inactivation and report to the Second Fleet for duty as a unit of Submarine Division 81 , Squadron 8 , U . S . Atlantic Fleet . " Picuda " prepared for active service in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard until 18 February and shifted to the Submarine Base at New London the next day . In company with five other submarines of the New London Group , she cleared that base 25 February for a tour of duty out of the Submarine Base at Balboa , Panama , returning by way of St . Thomas , to New London on 27 March . " Picuda " again entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for inactivation on 27 March and was towed by a fleet tug to New London on 19 September 1946 . She was placed out of commission , in reserve 25 September 1946 . " Picuda " was assigned to the New London Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until late in the year 1952 when she was towed to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for snorkel conversion . She recommissioned 19 June 1953 , Lieutenant Commander Ted N . Swain in command . Her conversion was complete by 24 August and she shifted to the Submarine Base at New London . She reported for duty to Submarine Division 122 , Squadron 12 , U . S . Atlantic Fleet . " Picuda " steamed by way of Norfolk , Virginia , and Nassau , Bahamas , to arrive at Key West , Florida , on 17 September . She was assigned to duty as a training ship for Submarine Refit Training Group and based her operations for that command at Key West through September 1959 . This duty included almost daily exercises in the Key West operating area , visits to American ports on the Gulf of Mexico , and periodic training cruises to the waters of Cuba , Jamaica and Haiti . This service was intervened by special cruises from Key West and two tours of duty in the Mediterranean Sea . On her first special cruise , she operated off Norfolk from 24 April to 20 May 1954 , participating in anti - submarine development exercises . On her second special cruise , she cleared Key West on 3 September and set course for waters of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean . She arrived at Londonderry Port , Northern Ireland , on 24 September for joint maneuvers with ships of the Royal Navy , then arrived at Gibraltar on 29 October to join units of the Sixth Fleet for Operation " Bright Bonfire . " She returned to Londonderry Port 14 November to resume hunter - killer and other anti - submarine warfare tactics with units of the British Fleet , and cleared that port 25 November to resume her training duties at Key West , 11 December . She again sailed from Key West 6 January 1958 and arrived at Gibraltar 18 January . Her tour with the Sixth Fleet included participation in operation " ASCENDEX " and visits to the ports of Palma and Barcelona , Spain ; Port de Monaco ; and Genoa , Italy . She sailed from Gibraltar on 18 August and conducted hunter - killer exercises with destroyers in waters off Cuba and Jamaica before returning to Key West 11 October . " Picuda " underwent overhaul in the Charleston Naval Shipyard from 13 October 1958 to 12 March 1959 , followed by a brief period of refresher training in the New London , Connecticut – Newport , Rhode Island , area . She resumed her former duties at Key West on 27 March 1959 and put to sea from that port 1 June for her third Mediterranean tour . She touched at Norfolk 4 June and reached Gibraltar on 15 June . Operations in the Mediterranean during this tour included visits to Naples and Genoa , Italy ; Marseilles , France ; and Lisbon , Portugal . She departed the latter port 26 August to resume training duties at Key West , Florida . In 1961 , " Picuda " visited Guantanamo Bay and underwent a five - month overhaul at Charleston Naval Shipyard . During 1962 , " Picuda " visited Guantanamo Bay twice before making a circumnavigation of the South American continent , conducting joint operations with Brazil , Argentina , Uruguay , Chile and Peru . This operation was terminated due to the Cuban Missile Crisis , and " Picuda " proceeded to Key West , Florida . " Picuda " spent most of 1963 operating out of her homeport of Key West making one trip to Guantanamo Bay . During 1964 , " Picuda " operated out of Key West in the Atlantic and Caribbean , winding up the year with an overhaul in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard . " Picuda " made another visit to Guantanamo Bay in 1965 . She began 1966 with a three month Mediterranean tour with the Sixth Fleet , participating in fleet ASW exercises and NATO exercises with French and Italian naval forces . She wound up the year with another visit to Guantanamo Bay . During the 1967 North Atlantic NATO operation " Quick Pursuit , " " Picuda " lost two men at sea . She visited Bergen , Norway and Portsmouth , England before returning to Key West . Spanish Navy service . Transferred to Spain on 1 October 1972 , former " Picuda " was renamed " Narciso Monturiol " ( S - 33 ) . The submarine was stricken from the U . S . Navys Naval Vessel Register on 1 November 1974 and was purchased outright by Spain on 18 November 1974 . In 1975 , she was laid up with mechanical defects and finally deleted from the " Armada Española " on 30 April 1977 , her name being shifted to former ex - " Jallao " ( SS - 368 ) , which the Spanish had acquired .