USS Sunfish (SS-281)

USS Sunfish (SS-281) in the Mare Island Channel in 1945
History
United States
BuilderMare Island Naval Shipyard
Laid down25 September 1941
Launched2 May 1942
Commissioned15 July 1942
Decommissioned26 December 1945
Stricken1 May 1960
FateSold for scrap, 15 December 1960
General characteristics
Class & typeGato-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement
  • 1,525 long tons (1,549 t) surfaced
  • 2,424 long tons (2,463 t) submerged
Length311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)
Beam27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft17 ft 0 in (5.18 m) maximum
Propulsion
Speed
  • 21 knots (39 km/h) surfaced
  • 9 knots (17 km/h) submerged
Range11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance
  • 48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged
  • 75 days on patrol
Test depth300 ft (90 m)
Complement6 officers, 54 enlisted
Armament

The first USS Sunfish (SS-281), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ocean sunfish, Mola mola, a plectognath marine fish, having a deep body truncated behind, and high dorsal and anal fins.