USS Spadefish (SS-411)

USS Spadefish (SS-411) off Mare Island Navy Yard on 11 May 1944.
History
United States
BuilderMare Island Naval Shipyard
Laid down27 May 1943
Launched8 January 1944
Commissioned9 March 1944
Decommissioned3 May 1946
Stricken1 April 1967
FateSold for scrap, 17 October 1969
General characteristics
Class & typeBalao class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement
  • 1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced
  • 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged
Length311 ft 10 in (95.05 m)
Beam27 ft 4 in (8.33 m)
Draft16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion
Speed
  • 20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced
  • 8.75 knots (16 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 depth400 ft (120 m)
Complement10 officers, 70–71 enlisted
Armament

The first USS Spadefish (SS/AGSS-411), a Balao-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the spadefish. Although she was commissioned late in the war and spent only one year in the Pacific war zone, she was able to run up a record of 88,091 tons in 21 ships and numerous trawlers sunk.