#balao-class

[carbone14]

USS Caiman (SS 323) au large du chantier naval de Mare Island – Vallejo – Californie – États-Unis – Printemps 1951

©United States Navy

[thuktunflishithy]

Crappy watercolor I did of a scene from my friend’s story Skipjack. Yes, that is a Balao-class submarine being skycraned Curiosity-style onto the ocean of a terraformed Mars. It’s that kind of story.

[redarmyscreaming]

USS Chopper (SS-342) Sometimes when a submarine goes wildly out of control, it sinks to the bottom. Sometimes when a sub goes wildly out of control, it go straight to the surface. When the USS Chopper lost control, it did both. At tremendous speed. https://jalopnik.com/inside-the-absolutely-wild-ride-of-the-uss-chopper-1587554224

[redarmyscreaming]

Transferred to Spain, 24 October 1959, renamed Almirante García de los Reyes (E-1); Redesignated (S-31), 15 June 1961, under the new, NATO-style numbering system adopted by the Spanish Navy. Almirante Garcia de los Reyes was the only Spanish submarine in the 1960s

USS KRAKEN (SS-370) being launched at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was sponsored by Mrs. John Z. Anderson (wife of Congressmen Anderson of California).

She had a cool name and insignia.

Photographed on April 30, 1944.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 72319, NH 65248-KN

[historyofguns]

In the article "Hallowed Ground: Dr. Dabbs Tours the USS Drum" on The Armory Life, author Will Dabbs, MD, takes readers through a historical exploration of the USS Drum, a Gato-class submarine prominently featured at the Battleship Alabama Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. The USS Drum, noted for being the oldest surviving American submarine from World War II, played a significant role during the war, undertaking 14 war patrols and sinking 15 Japanese ships. Dabbs details the cramped and challenging conditions aboard the submarine, highlighting its historical importance and the intense experiences of its crew. The article reflects on the bravery and resilience of its sailors while describing the Drum's combat achievements and eventual preservation as a museum piece following damage from Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Dabbs candidly shares his impressions, painting a vivid picture of submarine warfare and life aboard a vessel that is now a symbol of past naval valor.

[captain-price-unofficially]

US Navy Balao-class submarine sinks a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire circa 1945

[legacyofacat]

GB's Development Blog / Masterpost

Just an overview of my projects and their status (for you and me) because... dunno. could be interesting I guess?

Try Series:

Try of Maks (main series comic): fully sketched/prepared. Pages in need of finishing & publishing

Nimbus Try I: Arpeggio of Hurt Steel: Completed

Nimbus Child I: Games of War: Completeted

Nimbus Try II: Ghost Hunt: Completed

Nimbus Try III: Utosia: Currently being published

Nimbus Try IV: Mythological!AU: To be published

Nimbus Try V: Cor!AU: To be published

Nimbus Try VI: Written part finished. Comic fully sketched.

Nimbus Try VII: Ego: To be published

Nimbuy Try VIII: Usurpator: To be published

Nimbus Try IX: Non-existing and Continuous World: Planned as game (visual novel-esque). Script completed. Character sprites sketched. Backgrounds, speech boxes, scene art still needed.

Try X: Nemo: fully sketched

Your Garden of Woe:

Bloody Sakura in a Field of Poppies: To be published

Wings of Ruby: To be published

In Order to Fulfill my Purpose: To be published

Songbird: To be published

The War I Chose to Wage Against the Stars: unfinished

Arpeggio of Blue Steel:

Where Your Core Rests: Kongou x Reader. Completed

Azur Arpeggio: Azur Lane/Arpeggio crossover. Request from Wattpad. Unfinished

Black Swarm: Merpeople AU featuring either Maya and Kongou or the Reader and Kongou. Existence pending

Deep Deep Blue: Maya is stuck in a time loop to save Kongou. unfinished

Murder Can Get You... a Wife?: Kongou x Reader / Kongou & Reader (will probably be readable as both). Unfinished

Other:

Dreamcaught Butterfly: Hollow Knight fanfic born quite literally from a dream, where the Blackwyrm came back to life to be a pain in PK's side. Will probably never be worked on

Character Designs / Redesigns (Crossed out = Finished):

Normal ships:

H41 (J) Barbarossa

H42 (K) Hohenzollern

H43(L) Manfred von Richthofen (converted CV)

H44 (M) Lothar von Richthofen (converted CV)

H40 (I) Hindenburg

H39 (H) Friedrich der Große

Preußen (H-43, L)

Kriegsglück (H-44, M)

Tirpitz

Bismarck

Gneisenau

Scharnhorst

Flugzeugträger A, Graf Zeppelin

Flugzeugträger B, Peter Strasser

Flugzeugträger C 

Flugzeugträger D

O Odin

P Wotan

Q Beowulf

Seydlitz/Weser

Lützow/Tallinn

Mainz

Kiel

Thüringen

München

Rostock

Hamburg 

Clemenceau

Gascogne

Lion (1910)

Princess Royal

Kirishima (DD)

Kongou (DD)

SS Scharnhorst (Shin'yō)

HMVS Cerberus

Sovetskaya Gruziya

Temeraire (Lion-class BB)

Irbis (name subject to change, Lion-class hybrid battleship)

111 / Kii

797 / Oki

Shinano

Kashino

Hood

Howe

King George V

Ohio (Montana-class)

Maine (Montana-class)

Flandre (Alsace-class)

Impero (Littorio-class)

Roma (Littorio)

Italia / Littorio

Dutch 1047 Battlecruiser Project Ship #1

Dutch 1047 Battlecruiser Project Ship #2

Pollux/Korai Maru/Hoyo

Endracht

De Zeven Provinciën

Carnarias & 

Baleares

Lepanto & 

España (Littorio class, the Spanish & Italian planned on building variations)

Piorun (loaned to the Polish Navy from the Royal Navy)

Fuji

Hatsuse

Yashima

Shikishima

Asahi

Mikasa

B-65 Kreuzer (Daisen & 

Kuro)

SS Gneisenau (Jade)

SS Potsdam (Elbe)

Lütjens

RLP

L20e Alpha (Ägir?)

U-556

Midway

Ark Royal

Royal Oak

Prinz Eitel Friedrich / Noske

Brandenburg 

SM U 29

Z1

Vanguard

I-403

I-404

I-405

U-2540 (Wilhelm Bauer) 

Undine

Alliance

Cachalot

U-2501

U-190

Salmon

Balao

S-1

U-74

Shenyang/Namikaze

Chungking/Huanghe/HMS Aurora

Irian/Ordzhonikidze

Hsienyang/USS Rodman

Loyang/Benson

USS BLACK

USS Farragut

USS Fletcher

USS Monagahan

Chung Mu/USS Erben

Hamakaze

USS Ringgold

Isokaze

U-181/I-501

Independence (CV-61)

Training ship Amerigo Vespucci

Taihō

Dresden

Kolberg

Graf Spee

Altmark/Uckermark „Uka Maru“

Von der Tann

Moltke

Derfflinger

U-69

Kaiser

König

Gryf

Bougainville

Black Swan

Sonne

Mars Nova

Pluto

Conte di Cavour

Dante Alighieri

Zuikaku

Shōkaku

Kaga

Hashidate

Katori (cruiser)

Ry��jō

Chikuma

Tenryū

Kuma

Yūbari 

Yahagi (Chikuma-class)

Amagi

Ashitaka/Takao

Myōkō

Tachibana

Shimakaze

Wakatake

Umikaze

Akizuki

Asashio

Kagerō

Kamikaze

Yashiro/Cheng An (Mikura-class)

Awrora

Diana

Nowik

Molotow

Nürnberg/Admiral Makarow

Swietlana / Krasny Krim

Gangut / Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya

Noworossijsk/ Giulio Cesare

Moskwa (battlecruiser)

Kiew (dd leader)

Leningrad (dd leader)

Minsk (dd leader)

St. louis

Charleston

Alaska

Guam

Erie

Chester

Helena

Marblehead

Omaha

Constellation (lex class)

Lexington

Arizona

North Carolina

South Carolina

Wyoming

Iowa

Midway

Fusō

Kawachi

Mutsu

Nagato

Aoba

Orion

Strasbourg

Dunkerque

Duke of York

T-22

Nassau

Bayern

Prinz Eugen / Tegetthoff

ZF6 / L'Opiniâtre

Bellerophon

Eritrea

Kongou

Furutaka

Yūdachi (Nightmare of Solomon)

Ilmarinen

Aallokas

Isku

Ahven

Kuore

Lahna

Marat

Thule

Wasa

Drottning Victoria

Nordenskjöld

Wachtmeister

Munin

Gripen (1928)

Lindormen

Niels Juel

Marjata III/Eger

Ula

Uredd

Yavuz Sultan Selim/Goeben

Basra

Barbaros

Yıldırım

Yavuz

Gür

Svalbard

Kronprins Haakon

ORP Nawigator (spy ship)

Yantar

Alerta (Spanish spy ship)

Yuan Wang (specific ship undecided)

Elettra

Ta Kuan

Hai Pao/Tusk

Cochino

Hai Lung

Ukraina, dd (1917)

Starobilsk 

Ternopil

Lutsk

Dnipropetrovsk

Mykolaiv

Crocus

Naraku Maru

Matti Matti Maru

Myth ships:

Long Cheng (nur Myth)

Lóng guó

Kantorka (Flugzeugträger I (Imperial German project)

Nachthexe (improved Europa CV configuration)

Jingwei

Qilin

Chi Tu

Ruler

Crest

Turing (ex-Attero)

Hansa

Rhein (Flugzeugträger C)

Mosel (Flugzeugträger D)

Weiße Rose (ex-Geschwister Scholl) (repair ship)

Forgotten Ships:

Awa (Project 13 fast battleship)

Muroto (Project 13 fast battleship)

Tosa (named after bb, project 13)

Amaterasu (improved Taihō, G-15 Project)

HMS Faithful

SMS Fürst Bismarck

Babel

Other:

Nyx

Callisto

Rubyheart

Forestleaf

Cloud Melody

Bronze Hoof

Snowflake

Frost Cobra

Athena

Pallas

Ikra

Lillith

Aquabloom

Ayumi (redesign pending)

Bluestream

Daylight (+ new name)

Nightlight (+ new name)

Gaia

Nightmare Blood

Dark Blood

Lia

Lightwalker

Melody

Metimo

Mia

Chrysós (redesign pending)

Schatten

Sonata

Leafchild

Feanor

Great Four Winged One

Bai Ki

Theia

Mitemo's Butterfly

Latura

Anna Mitemo

various Masks

Eru

(content subject to change)

[ultrajaphunter]

Launched in 1923, the S-44 was one of few “old pigboats” that saw extensive service in WW2 when the US Navy was desperate for Submarines after the onset of Pearl Harbor.

Serving on such boats took extra courage! I find these boats unique in that they were not the more well-known modern Gato or Balao-class boats,

but already had 20 years of service behind them when asked again to serve their country in time of war!.

With the leaks and deficiencies in these older submarines

(e.g., limited depth, speed,

no rear tubes,

and range capability), these boats still nonetheless served with distinction in WW2. S-44 earned two battle stars and has the distinction of being the first US Submarine in WW2 to sink an enemy cruiser -

that of the IJN heavy cruiser Kako in 1942 during the Battle of Savo Island!

But she was also tragically, the only S-Class boat to be lost to enemy action when she was sunk on 7 October 1943, as a result of surface gunfire with the Japanese Destroyer Escort Ishigaki off the Kuril Islands.

She was lost with only 2 survivors out of a complement of 38 crew (Lt.Cdr. Francis Elwood Brown went down with the ship).

Given this unique history, I wanted to build this boat!

I originally wanted to build the resin 1/350 S-Class model by Blue Water Navy but,

found it is very rare (if anyone has one, I am still interested as I collect 1/350 USN WW2 submarines).

With no luck in getting the 1/350 BWN model,

I decided to scratch-build one in 1/72. Given I had more time than usual with Covid19,

I started this project only in June 2020 and expect to finish in a month or so –

a record for my scratch-built projects which can last about a year minimum.

Here are pictures of the model in-progress thus far. It is not yet finished as I STILL have to add the many rivets found on these old boats!!!

The model was based on an old vacuform kit of a generic S-Class boat by the now defunct Combat Models.

However I found the old vacuform kit),

was not accurate in shape nor detailed enough as a start.

So far, the approach was to use the Combat Models as a guide to re vacuform the hull based on new plans I bought.

Methods included thermo forming,

along with styrene,

bass wood,

metal,

photo-etch,

resin casting,

and lots of gizmology parts from the spares box!

There is no major definitive book outlining the details of these old boats!

I relied solely on two grainy photos that exist of her as she exited Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in her last refit in summer 1943.

I also used photos of her near sisters (S-42 to S-46),

to guess at the rest of the details that could not be ascertained in those two old photos...

You will note that the boat had many details that are not symmetrical and aligned such as the flood holes (remember this boat was constructed in 1920!).

This is replicated on the model on purpose based on period photos of her flood hole arrangements.

While I thought a submarine would be relatively easy to scratch build,

I take that back as she has tons of little deck details.

The conning tower alone has about 150 parts itself.

In total, there will be about 400 parts to this “simple” sub.

It is not all scratch…the deck gun is from White Ensign Models

(but with more details added),

and the AA gun is from UM.

The S-44 was the only boat to mount this massive 4”/50 deck gun,

and her near sisters had the smaller 3” guns.

The paint scheme is of utmost challenge as she was simply “all black”.

I do not know how to go about it, but will tackle it one step at a time.

Thus the model represents S-44 after her final refit in June 1943,

and in what she might have looked at the time of her loss near Japan –

an old boat with a more modern conning tower!

This model is a tribute to all the crew on that boat, and those submariners still on “eternal patrol”.

I hope to contribute it and find a home for it one day at some naval museum.

More Pics on FB - Harvey Low

[jackjdavison]

World War II

Between World War I and World War II, the world's naval interest in submarines remained strong. The British, French, and Japanese built improved versions, and during this period the United States Navy built its first large, long-range submarine, the Argonaut. Completed in 1928, it was 381 feet long, had a surface displacement of 2,710 tons, was armed with two 6-inch guns, four forward torpedo tubes, and could carry 60 mines. The Argonaut was the largest non-nuclear submarine ever built by the US Navy, and led to the highly successful American Gato and Balao class submarines used in World War II.

In the 1930s, revived Soviet shipyards began mass-producing submarines, especially coastal vessels, to make the Soviet Union a naval power without spending large amounts of money on surface warships. However, while the Soviet program produced a large number of ships, the ships were ill-suited for operation against the German Navy, the crews were poorly trained, and the Soviet bases were mostly blocked by ice.

During World War II, large-scale submarine operations took place in the world's oceans. The most important German submarines in the Atlantic were the Type VIIs, relatively small but effective when properly used. The Type VIICs were 220.25 feet long, had a surface displacement of 769 tons, and were diesel-electrically powered. They had a speed of 17 knots on the surface and 7.5 knots submerged. Their armament consisted of a 90 mm deck gun, various anti-aircraft guns, and five torpedo tubes (four forward and one aft). They carried 14 torpedoes or 14 tube mines. These submarines had a crew of 44 and could achieve a range of 6,500 miles at 12 knots on the surface, although the submarine's gun batteries could continue to operate for just under a day at 4 knots.

[i-am-the-egg-to-rule-all-eggs]

Op are you in a balao class submarine

beautiful women named 3 torpedoes incoming keep messaging me

[sayanta]

World War Two

The Argonaut was the largest non-nuclear submarine ever built by the US Navy, and led to the highly successful American Gato and Balao class submarines used in World War II.

The ultimate diesel-electric submarine developed during wartime was the German Type XXI, a 250-foot-long, 1,600-ton boat capable of submerging at 17.5 knots for over an hour, or at 6 knots for two days, or "crawling" at a slow speed for four days. These submarines were equipped with snorkels (see below) so they did not have to fully surface to recharge their batteries after being deployed underwater. The Type XXI had an operating depth of 269 meters, more than twice the normal depth at the time, and was armed with four 33 mm guns and six bow torpedo tubes (capable of carrying 23 torpedoes). These features made all previous submarines obsolete. If the war had continued beyond the spring of 1945, existing Allied anti-submarine forces would have had serious problems with these boats.

A final wartime German design of particular interest was the Walther turbine propulsion system. Because combustion requires oxygen, previously it was not possible to use steam turbines or diesel engines while a submarine was submerged and lacking air. German scientist Helmut Walther developed a turbine propulsion system that used oxygen produced by hydrogen peroxide to run a turbine underwater.

[mstmonishamoni]

A notable German submarine development

World War 2 was the snorkel device (anglicized by the US Navy to "snorkel"). The invention was attributed to Dutch officer Lieutenant Jan J. Wichers, who in 1933 proposed the idea of ​​a breathing tube to supply fresh air to the submarine's diesel engines while traveling underwater. The Dutch Navy began using snorkels in 1936, and some fell into German hands in 1940. With the introduction of radar to detect surfaced submarines, Germany equipped hundreds of submarines with snorkels to allow their diesel engines to operate at periscope depth (to recharge the batteries for underwater propulsion). This increased the chances of detection by radar-equipped ships and Allied aircraft.

During the Pacific War, the Japanese military deployed a large number of submarines of various sizes and types, including carrier submarines, midget submarines, and "manned torpedo" submarines mounted on larger submarines. The Japanese I-201 class submarines were fast diesel-powered submarines, 259 feet long, displacing 1,291 tons, and capable of 15 knots on the surface. Underwater, large batteries and electric motors could power the vessels at a speed of 19 knots for almost an hour. Each boat was equipped with two 25 mm guns and four forward torpedo tubes, carrying ten torpedoes.

The highly successful U.S. submarine campaign in the Pacific War was fought primarily with Gato and Balao class submarines. She was approximately 311.5 feet long, displaced 1,525 tons, and was powered by diesel-electric engines capable of a speed of 20 knots on the surface and 9 knots submerged. The main difference between the two designs was that the Gato class boats had an operating depth of 300 ft, while the Balao boats had an operating depth of 400 ft. These submarines carried a crew of 65 to 70 men and were equipped with one or two 5-inch deck guns as well as smaller anti-aircraft weapons, ten torpedo tubes (six forward and four aft) and carried 24 torpedoes.

[bosomala]

A notable German submarine development

World War 2 was the snorkel device (anglicized by the US Navy to "snorkel"). The invention was attributed to Dutch officer Lieutenant Jan J. Wichers, who in 1933 proposed the idea of ​​a breathing tube to supply fresh air to the submarine's diesel engines while traveling underwater. The Dutch Navy began using snorkels in 1936, and some fell into German hands in 1940. With the introduction of radar to detect surfaced submarines, Germany equipped hundreds of submarines with snorkels to allow their diesel engines to operate at periscope depth (to recharge the batteries for underwater propulsion). This increased the chances of detection by radar-equipped ships and Allied aircraft.

During the Pacific War, the Japanese military deployed a large number of submarines of various sizes and types, including carrier submarines, midget submarines, and "manned torpedo" submarines mounted on larger submarines. The Japanese I-201 class submarines were fast diesel-powered submarines, 259 feet long, displacing 1,291 tons, and capable of 15 knots on the surface. Underwater, large batteries and electric motors could power the vessels at a speed of 19 knots for almost an hour. Each boat was equipped with two 25 mm guns and four forward torpedo tubes, carrying ten torpedoes.

The highly successful U.S. submarine campaign in the Pacific War was fought primarily with Gato and Balao class submarines. She was approximately 311.5 feet long, displaced 1,525 tons, and was powered by diesel-electric engines capable of a speed of 20 knots on the surface and 9 knots submerged. The main difference between the two designs was that the Gato class boats had an operating depth of 300 ft, while the Balao boats had an operating depth of 400 ft. These submarines carried a crew of 65 to 70 men and were equipped with one or two 5-inch deck guns as well as smaller anti-aircraft weapons, ten torpedo tubes (six forward and four aft) and carried 24 torpedoes.

[nilorani]

A notable German submarine development

World War 2 was the snorkel device (anglicized by the US Navy to "snorkel"). The invention was attributed to Dutch officer Lieutenant Jan J. Wichers, who in 1933 proposed the idea of ​​a breathing tube to supply fresh air to the submarine's diesel engines while traveling underwater. The Dutch Navy began using snorkels in 1936, and some fell into German hands in 1940. With the introduction of radar to detect surfaced submarines, Germany equipped hundreds of submarines with snorkels to allow their diesel engines to operate at periscope depth (to recharge the batteries for underwater propulsion). This increased the chances of detection by radar-equipped ships and Allied aircraft.

During the Pacific War, the Japanese military deployed a large number of submarines of various sizes and types, including carrier submarines, midget submarines, and "manned torpedo" submarines mounted on larger submarines. The Japanese I-201 class submarines were fast diesel-powered submarines, 259 feet long, displacing 1,291 tons, and capable of 15 knots on the surface. Underwater, large batteries and electric motors could power the vessels at a speed of 19 knots for almost an hour. Each boat was equipped with two 25 mm guns and four forward torpedo tubes, carrying ten torpedoes.

The highly successful U.S. submarine campaign in the Pacific War was fought primarily with Gato and Balao class submarines. She was approximately 311.5 feet long, displaced 1,525 tons, and was powered by diesel-electric engines capable of a speed of 20 knots on the surface and 9 knots submerged. The main difference between the two designs was that the Gato class boats had an operating depth of 300 ft, while the Balao boats had an operating depth of 400 ft. These submarines carried a crew of 65 to 70 men and were equipped with one or two 5-inch deck guns as well as smaller anti-aircraft weapons, ten torpedo tubes (six forward and four aft) and carried 24 torpedoes.

[mrmannan]

A notable German submarine development

World War 2 was the snorkel device (anglicized by the US Navy to "snorkel"). The invention was attributed to Dutch officer Lieutenant Jan J. Wichers, who in 1933 proposed the idea of ​​a breathing tube to supply fresh air to the submarine's diesel engines while traveling underwater. The Dutch Navy began using snorkels in 1936, and some fell into German hands in 1940. With the introduction of radar to detect surfaced submarines, Germany equipped hundreds of submarines with snorkels to allow their diesel engines to operate at periscope depth (to recharge the batteries for underwater propulsion). This increased the chances of detection by radar-equipped ships and Allied aircraft.

During the Pacific War, the Japanese military deployed a large number of submarines of various sizes and types, including carrier submarines, midget submarines, and "manned torpedo" submarines mounted on larger submarines. The Japanese I-201 class submarines were fast diesel-powered submarines, 259 feet long, displacing 1,291 tons, and capable of 15 knots on the surface. Underwater, large batteries and electric motors could power the vessels at a speed of 19 knots for almost an hour. Each boat was equipped with two 25 mm guns and four forward torpedo tubes, carrying ten torpedoes.

The highly successful U.S. submarine campaign in the Pacific War was fought primarily with Gato and Balao class submarines. She was approximately 311.5 feet long, displaced 1,525 tons, and was powered by diesel-electric engines capable of a speed of 20 knots on the surface and 9 knots submerged. The main difference between the two designs was that the Gato class boats had an operating depth of 300 ft, while the Balao boats had an operating depth of 400 ft. These submarines carried a crew of 65 to 70 men and were equipped with one or two 5-inch deck guns as well as smaller anti-aircraft weapons, ten torpedo tubes (six forward and four aft) and carried 24 torpedoes.

[modhumaloti]

A notable German submarine development

World War 2 was the snorkel device (anglicized by the US Navy to "snorkel"). The invention was attributed to Dutch officer Lieutenant Jan J. Wichers, who in 1933 proposed the idea of ​​a breathing tube to supply fresh air to the submarine's diesel engines while traveling underwater. The Dutch Navy began using snorkels in 1936, and some fell into German hands in 1940. With the introduction of radar to detect surfaced submarines, Germany equipped hundreds of submarines with snorkels to allow their diesel engines to operate at periscope depth (to recharge the batteries for underwater propulsion). This increased the chances of detection by radar-equipped ships and Allied aircraft.

During the Pacific War, the Japanese military deployed a large number of submarines of various sizes and types, including carrier submarines, midget submarines, and "manned torpedo" submarines mounted on larger submarines. The Japanese I-201 class submarines were fast diesel-powered submarines, 259 feet long, displacing 1,291 tons, and capable of 15 knots on the surface. Underwater, large batteries and electric motors could power the vessels at a speed of 19 knots for almost an hour. Each boat was equipped with two 25 mm guns and four forward torpedo tubes, carrying ten torpedoes.

The highly successful U.S. submarine campaign in the Pacific War was fought primarily with Gato and Balao class submarines. She was approximately 311.5 feet long, displaced 1,525 tons, and was powered by diesel-electric engines capable of a speed of 20 knots on the surface and 9 knots submerged. The main difference between the two designs was that the Gato class boats had an operating depth of 300 ft, while the Balao boats had an operating depth of 400 ft. These submarines carried a crew of 65 to 70 men and were equipped with one or two 5-inch deck guns as well as smaller anti-aircraft weapons, ten torpedo tubes (six forward and four aft) and carried 24 torpedoes.