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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Gato (SS-212)

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Charlie - Whiskey
Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 5 October 1940, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 21 August 1941; Commissioned USS Gato (SS-212), 31 December 1941; Decommissioned, 16 March 1946, at New York Naval Shipyard; Placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training vessel at New York and later Baltimore.; Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 1 March 1960; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 25 July 1960, to Northern Metals Co., Philadelphia, PA. Gato received the Presidential Unit Citation and 13 battle stars for service in World War II.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,424 t.; Length 311' 9"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Complement 6 Officers 54 Enlisted; Operating Depth, 300 ft; Submerged Endurance, 48 hrs at 2 kts; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10 kts; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 cal. machine guns, two .30 cal. machine guns; Propulsion, diesel electric reduction gear with four General Motors main generator engines, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity, 97,140 gals., four General Electric main motors, HP 2740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin propellers.
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For Full Size Image		Size Image Description Source
Gato 51k Bow view of the Gato (SS-212) looking aft, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT., 31 December 1941 immeadiatley after launching.
 USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Gato 34k Gato (SS-212) in Sept. 1942 wearing Ms 9 overall black camouflage.
 Photo and text courtesy of "The Floating Drydock, Fleet Subs of WW II" by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
Gato 82k Crew of the Gato (SS-212) posing for a shot in the Northern Pacific, circa 1942. Gato crew member Lloyd Age is seated in the middle of the seven sailors on the fairweather railing
Courtesy of J.R. Carrel.
Gato 77k Line drawing of the Gato (SS-212) Sept. 1943.
 Photo and text courtesy of "The Floating Drydock, Fleet Subs of WW II" by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
Gato 46k Shown on 23 November 1944, Gato (SS-212) was typical of submarines in mid-war. Her open bridge was cut to a minimum. Numerous extra limber holes were cut into her superstructure for faster diving. Patterns varied from boat to boat. The bridge fairwater accommodates a 20-mm gun forward & a single 40-mm aft. The deck gun is a 4 in/50 taken from an S-boat.
Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
Gato 86k Modifications made on 29 November 1944 at Mare Island for Gato (SS-212)include installation of a new freestanding mast for her SD radar and relocation of her SJ to a new mast supported by her periscope shears. In some boats the new SJ mast was mounted forward of the periscope shears.
The three girders supporting the shears are the only remnants of the prewar enclosed bridge: their height indicates how far the fairwater has been cut down. Note also the ammunition-passing scuttle let into the deck abaft the bridge fairwater. 		Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
Gato 158k This close up of the starboard side of the bridge superstructure of the Gato (SS-212)
shows the arrangement of the guns, periscope and other deck gear. This photo was taken during the boat's overhaul at Mare Island Shipyard, November 29, 1944. The circles indicate new items added during the overhaul. The boat mounts a 4" gun forward and a 20mm gun aft. On the gun deck forward is another 20mm gun and a 40mm gun aft. Note the camoflage countetshading under the deck extension and the inside of the bridge area. The telephone mounted to a board hanging on the railing wasa temporary import connection.		 USN Archives photo # 19-N-75565. Photo and text courtesy of "The Floating Drydock, Fleet Subs of WW II" by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
Gato 127k This top view of the 4"/50 cal deck gun mounted onboard the Gato (SS-212)
during her November 29,1944 overhaul. Note the deck hatches for the stowage of the small boats carried below the main deck. To the left of the gun at the tip of the barrel is the forward marker buoy. The forward escape trunk top hatch is open. To the right of the marker buoy is the access to the escape trunk size door.		 USN Archives photo # 19-N-75563. Photo and text courtesy of "The Floating Drydock, Fleet Subs of WW II" by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
Gato 86k Gato (SS-212), off Mare Island Navy Yard, 29 November 1944.
 US Navy photo # 7266-44, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center
Gato 26k Gato (SS-212), dockside, date and location unknown.
 Courtesy of gato.com
Archerfish 95k Proteus (AS-19) with submarines of Submarine Squadron 20 alongside in Tokyo Bay, on VJ-Day, 2 September 1945. Names of the submarines present, their commanding officers and the commanding officers of SubRon20 and Proteus are printed at the bottom of the image:
Archerfish (SS-311)
Cavalla (SS-244)
Gato (SS-212)
Haddo (SS-255)
Muskallunge (SS-262)
Pilotfish (SS-386)
Razorback (SS-394)
Runner (SS-476)
Segundo (SS-398)
Sea Cat (SS-399) and
Tigrone (SS-419).
Courtesy of Captain Joseph F. Enright, USN(Retired), 1979. US Navy photo # NH 95019, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
Gato 146k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 138k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 176k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 130k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, main and fuel ballast cut out.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 122k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, special ballast and lubricating oil tanks cut out.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 132k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, fuel ballast, normal fuel, expansion and collecting tanks cut out.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 166k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, fresh, hot and battery water cut out.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 113k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the stern section of the Gato (SS-212) class.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 160k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, main supply, exhaust, battery ventillation and engine induction hull valves cut out.
 Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 185k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, refrigerator liquid and control manifolds cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 237k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, primimg, triming and drainage systems cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 169k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, high pressure air and related systems cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 188k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, high pressure air and related systems cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 123k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, high pressure air and related systems cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 235k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 161k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, vent riser cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 180k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, external salvage connection cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 180k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, external salvage connection cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 196k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, oil, vent replinishing and supply and return cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 179k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, steering normal power and hand and emergency cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 185k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, bow and stern planes cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 212k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, oil and air pressure cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 198k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, oil and air pressure cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 163k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, oil and air pressure cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 133k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, anchor and forward sections cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 210k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, fuel oil & compensating water lines cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 99k Line drawing of the General Arrangement of the Gato (SS-212) class, inboard profile cut out.
Courtesy of Lester Palifka.
Gato 65k Gato (SS-212) 1-178 scale starboard bow view model.
 Photo by Ken Hart.
View the Gato (212)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Subnet, USS Gato (SS 212)
USS Gato SS(N) 615 - USS Gato SS 212
Full Fathom Five, U.S. Submarine War Against Japan
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