USS Grayling ( SS - 209 ) USS " Grayling " ( SS - 209 ) , a " Tambor " - class submarine , was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the grayling , a fresh - water game fish closely related to the trout . Her keel was laid down at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery , Maine on 15 December 1939 . She was launched on 4 September 1940 sponsored by Mrs . Herbert F . Leary , and commissioned on 1 March 1941 with Lieutenant Commander Eliot Olsen in command . Pre - World War II . After conducting tests and sea trials , she was called upon 20 June 1941 to assist in the search for submarine " O - 9 " ( SS - 70 ) , which had failed to surface after a practice dive off Isles of Shoals . " O - 9 " was subsequently discovered on the bottom , but rescue efforts failed ; " Grayling " participated 22 June in the memorial services for those lost . Joining the Atlantic Fleet , " Grayling " sailed on shakedown cruise on 4 August to Morehead City , North Carolina , and St . Thomas , U . S . Virgin Islands , returning to Portsmouth on 29 August . After final acceptance , she departed 17 November , armed at Newport , Rhode Island , and sailed for duty with the Pacific Fleet . " Grayling " transited the Panama Canal on 3 December and moored at San Diego , California , on 10 December . Start of War , and Raising of Nimitz ' s Flag . " Grayling " sailed for Pearl Harbor on 17 December , arrived 24 December , and had the honor of being chosen for the Pacific Fleet change of command ceremony on 31 December 1941 . On that day , Admiral Chester Nimitz hoisted his flag aboard " Grayling " as Commander , Pacific Fleet and began the United States Navy ' s long fighting road back in the Pacific . COMSUBPAC Patrols , 1942 . After the ceremonies , " Grayling " stood out of Pearl Harbor on her first war patrol 5 January 1942 . Cruising the Northern Gilbert Islands , " Grayling " failed to register a kill , but gained much in training and readiness , returning to Pearl Harbor on 7 March . Her second patrol , beginning 27 March , was more successful . Cruising off the coast of Japan itself , " Grayling " sank her first ship 13 April , sending the cargo freighter " Ryujin Maru " to the bottom . She returned to Hawaii on 16 May . " Grayling " returned to action in June as all available ships were pressed into service to oppose the Japanese advance on Midway Island . As part of Task Group 7 . 1 , " Grayling " and her sister submarines were arranged in a fan - like reconnaissance deployment west of Midway , helping to provide knowledge of Japanese movements . During this deployment the " Grayling " was mistaken for a Japanese cruiser by Army Air Force B - 17s which attacked her . A quick crash dive avoided damage . As Naval planners established a submarine blockade of Truk in connection with the offensive in the Solomon Islands , " Grayling " began her third war patrol 14 July 1942 around the Japanese stronghold . She damaged a Japanese submarine tender 13 August , but was forced to return to Pearl Harbor 26 August by fuel leaks . At Pearl Harbor , " Grayling " repaired and was fitted with surface radar , after which she began her fourth patrol on 19 October . Although attacked by gunfire and six separate depth charge runs by Japanese destroyers , " Grayling " succeeded 10 November in sinking a 4000 - ton cargo ship southwest of Truk . She also destroyed an enemy schooner on 4 December before putting into Fremantle , Australia , 13 December . Deployment to Australia , 1943 . Changing her base of operations to Australia , " Grayling " stood out of Fremantle on 7 January 1943 on her fifth patrol , this time in Philippine waters . She sank cargo ship " Ushio Maru " west of Luzon on 26 January and damaged another Japanese ship the next day . After sinking a schooner on 24 February , " Grayling " returned to Fremantle . " Grayling " left Australian waters on 18 March on her sixth war patrol and cruised in the Tarakan area and the Verde Island Passage . There , she attacked and sank cargo ship " Shanghai Maru " on 9 April and damaged four other ships before returning to Fremantle on 25 April . Her seventh war patrol , commencing 18 May , took " Grayling " into the waters off northwest Borneo , where she damaged a freighter and two smaller ships before returning to her base 6 July . Loss . Under the command of Lt . Cdr . Robert M . Brinker , " Grayling " began her eighth and last war patrol in July , 1943 , from Fremantle . She made two visits to the coast of the Philippines , delivering supplies and equipment to guerrillas at Pucio Point , Pandan Bay , Panay , 31 July and 23 August 1943 . Cruising in the Philippines area , " Grayling " recorded her last kill , the passenger - cargo " Meizan Maru " on 27 August in the Tablas Strait , but was not heard from again after 9 September . She was scheduled to make a radio report on 12 September , which she did not , and all attempts to contact her failed . " Grayling " was officially reported " lost with all hands " 30 September 1943 . On 27 August 1943 , Japanese ships witnessed a torpedo attack , and the next day a surfaced submarine was seen , both in the Tablas Strait area , and then on 9 September a surfaced American submarine was seen inside Lingayen Gulf . All of these sightings correspond with " Grayling " ' s orders to patrol the approaches to Manila . On 9 September 1943 , Japanese passenger - cargo vessel " Hokuan Maru " reported a submarine in shallow water west of Luzon . The ship made a run over the area and “ noted an impact with a submerged object . ” No additional data are available . No recorded Japanese attacks could have sunk " Grayling " . Her loss may have been operational or by an unrecorded attack . The only certainty , therefore , is that " Grayling " was lost between 9 September and 12 September 1943 either in Lingayen Gulf or along the approaches to Manila . ComTaskFor71 requested a transmission from " Grayling " on 12 September , but did not receive one . " Grayling " was credited with five major kills , totaling 20 , 575 tons . All but the first of " Grayling " ' s eight war patrols were declared " successful " . She received six battle stars for World War II service .