The USS Batfish (SS-310) is a Balao-class submarine constructed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Laid down on December 27, 1942, and launched on May 5, 1943, she was originally designated Acoupa but renamed Batfish prior to her keel laying. She was commissioned on August 21, 1943, under Lieutenant Commander Wayne R. Merrill. Designed for wartime patrols, Batfish measured approximately 311 feet in length with a beam of about 27 feet. Her armament included torpedo tubes capable of launching electric Mark 18 torpedoes, and she was equipped with radar and sonar systems to detect enemy vessels and coordinate attacks. Batfish’s service history during World War II is notable for her exceptional anti-submarine warfare achievements. She completed seven war patrols between December 1943 and August 1945, sinking nine Japanese ships totaling over 10,658 tons, primarily operating east of Japan, in the Philippine Sea, Luzon Strait, and South China Sea. Her most distinguished feat occurred during her sixth patrol in January 1945, when she sank three Japanese submarines—Ro-55, Ro-112, and Ro-113—in just four days—an unprecedented accomplishment. This patrol earned her a Presidential Unit Citation. Throughout her wartime service, Batfish engaged in combat against Japanese convoys, minelayers, and enemy submarines, often navigating treacherous weather and grounding on underwater volcanic peaks. She also conducted lifeguard duties for Allied air strikes and participated in reconnaissance and rescue operations. Postwar, the USS Batfish was decommissioned in April 1946 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was reactivated in 1952, serving in the Atlantic Fleet as a training submarine until her final decommissioning in 1958. She was later redesignated as an auxiliary research submarine (AGSS-310) and served as a Naval Reserve training vessel. In 1971, Batfish was donated to the Oklahoma Maritime Advisory Board and became a museum ship in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Over the years, Batfish has become a significant historical vessel, recognized for her wartime exploits and preserved as a memorial, symbolizing U.S. submarine warfare achievements during World War II.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.