USS Sawfish, SS-276 Sawfish (SS-276), Gato class submarine was laid down on 20 January 1942 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine; launched on 23 June 1942; and commissioned on 26 August 1942. After shakedown, off Portsmouth, in Narragansett Bay, and en route to the Panama Canal, the new submarine arrived at Pearl Harbor on 21 January 1943. Ten days later, she got underway for the first of her 10 war patrols. During her seventh war patrol, Sawfish joined Rock (SS-274) and Tilefish (SS-307) for wolfpack operations. The submarines sortied from Majuro on June 22ed and headed for the Philippines. On July 18th, she damaged a tanker and, on July 26, fired a spread of four torpedoes at surfaced Japanese submarine, I-29, which exploded and sank. After a fruitless chase of a large Japanese convoy, the wolfpack ended the patrol at Pearl Harbor on August 15. Sawfish received eight battle stars for service during World War II. Back to History Index   Image Country Year Description Saint Thomas 2008 American Submarine USS Sawfish, SS-276 (Gato class)