USS Hoe ( SS - 258 ) , a " Gato " - class submarine , was a ship of the United States Navy named for the hoe , one of various sharks , especially the dogfish . Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company , Groton , Connecticut on 2 January 1942 . She was launched 17 September 1942 ( sponsored by Miss Helen Hess ) , and commissioned 16 December 1942 , Lieutenant Commander B . C . Folger in command . First and second war patrols , May – October 1943 . After shakedown , " Hoe " sailed 19 April 1943 via the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbor , where she arrived 15 May . She departed on her first combat war patrol 27 May , and patrolled the Guam - Palaus area . " Hoe " damaged two freighters before returning 11 July to Pearl Harbor via Ulithi and Midway Atoll . " Hoe " ' s second patrol , conducted west of Truk , was marred by considerable engine trouble . The submarine departed 21 August , damaged one tanker , and eluded several depth charge attacks before returning to Pearl Harbor 18 October 1943 . She also took part in the search for downed aviators off Wake Island , 8 – 9 October . Third , fourth , and fifth war patrols , January – August 1944 . Following extensive repairs , " Hoe " set out on her third patrol 26 January 1944 . Patrolling between Mindanao and Halmahera , the submarine made an attack 16 February which damaged one ship . Although shadowed by escort vessels , " Hoe " detected another convoy 25 February and in two separate attacks sank tanker " Nissho Maru " . She returned to Fremantle , Australia , 5 March for refit and training . " Hoe " began her fourth war patrol from Fremantle 4 April , and operated in the South China Sea , the vital Japan ese sea supply line . She attacked a convoy 8 May , but scored no hits . Two more attacks 17 May and 19 May resulted in several damaged freighters and severe retaliatory depth charge attacks on " Hoe " . She returned to Fremantle 2 June 1944 . Her fifth war patrol , in the same area , was conducted between 29 June and 23 August 1944 . Sixth and seventh war patrols , September 1944 – January 1945 . The veteran submarine sailed on her sixth patrol 15 September as leader of a coordinated attack group consisting of " Hoe " , , and . Operating southwest of Lingayen Gulf , the submarines accounted for some 38 , 000 tons of valuable Japanese shipping in five night surface attacks . " Hoe " was credited with the sinking of passenger - cargo ship " Kohoko Maru " 8 October , and returned to Fremantle 22 October . Her seventh patrol , 23 November 1944 to 3 January 1945 , resulted in no sinkings . Part of this cruise was conducted in coordination with and . Eighth war patrol , February – March 1945 . " Hoe " ' s final war patrol began 8 February 1945 , when she again headed for the South China Sea . By this time the vigorous American submarine offensive had taken its toll and little Japanese shipping could be found . The submarine did detect a tanker with an escort 25 February and in a well - conducted submerged attack sank the escort , " Shinan " . Two days before , while patrolling off Indochina , she and had been involved in one of the most unusual accidents of the war . While steaming at a depth of " Hoe " struck an object and broached , sustaining only light damage . Subsequent analysis proved that she had actually collided with " Flounder " , one of the few submerged collisions on record . Ending her last patrol at Pearl Harbor 6 March , " Hoe " returned to the United States for overhaul and repairs . Post - war service . She sailed again for the Western Pacific 5 July 1945 and was just entering Apra Harbor , Guam , when the war ended . A few days later she sailed for the East Coast via Pearl Harbor and the Panama Canal , arriving New York 29 September 1945 . " Hoe " decommissioned 7 August 1946 at New London , Conn . , and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . In September 1956 she was taken out of reserve to act as a Naval Reserve Training Ship in a noncommissioned status in the 3rd Naval District . She was subsequently sold 23 August 1960 to Laneett Inc . , Boston , Massachusetts . Hoe received seven battle star s for World War II service . Her first , third , fourth , sixth , and eighth patrols were designated successful .