Sargo-class submarine

The Sargo-class submarines were the first US submarines to be sent into action after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, starting war patrols the day after the attack. They were built between 1937 and 1939.

The Sargo-class submarine USS Swordfish (SS-193) had the distinction of being the first US Navy vessel to sink a Japanese ship in World War II.

The Sargo class was very active during the war, sinking 73 ships, including a Japanese submarine.

USS Sailfish (SS-192) of this class sank the aircraft carrier Chuyo, which was carrying 21 survivors from the submarine USS Sculpin (SS-191); only one of these prisoners survived the sinking. Sculpin had been one of the ships assisting in the rescue of 33 men when USS Squalus (SS-192) sank during a test dive in 1939; Squalus was refloated and recommissioned as USS Sailfish.

After the Second World War, boats of this class were moved into a training role before being scrapped. USS Searaven (SS-196) was used in the Bikini Atoll atomic weapon tests in 1946. There was negligible damage so she was later expended as a target. USS Sailfish was also due to become a target in the same atomic weapon tests but she was scrapped instead in 1948.