Balao-class submarine

	USS Balao in 1944
Class overview
Name	Balao class
Builders	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard; Cramp Shipbuilding Company; Mare Island Naval Shipyard; Electric Boat Company; Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company;
Operators	United States Navy; Italian Navy; Turkish Navy; Hellenic Navy; Peruvian Navy; Argentine Navy; Chilean Navy; Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela; Republic of China Navy; Royal Canadian Navy; Brazilian Navy; Royal Netherlands Navy; Spanish Navy;
Preceded by	Gato class
Succeeded by	Tench class
Built	1942–1946
In commission	1943–present
Completed	120
Cancelled	62
Active	1
Lost	14 (11 in United States service, 3 in foreign service)
Retired	105
Preserved	8
General characteristics
Type	Diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced, 2,391–2,424 tons (2,429–2463 t) submerged
Length	311 ft 6 in–311 ft 10 in (94.9–95.0 m)
Beam	27 ft 3 in–27 ft 4 in (8.3 m)
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion	4 × diesel engines driving electrical generators (Fairbanks-Morse or General Motors);; 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries;; 4 × high-speed electric motors with reduction gears or 2 × low-speed electric motors (Elliott Company or General Electric); two shafts;; 5,400 shp (4,000 kW) surfaced, 2,740 shp (2,040 kW) submerged;
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced, 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged
Range	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced @ 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance	48 hours @ 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged, 75 days on patrol
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted men
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 6 forward, 4 aft; 24 torpedoes; 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun; Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon;

The Balao class was a design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 120^[2] boats completed, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences. The most significant improvement was the use of thicker, higher yield strength steel in the pressure hull skins and frames,^[5] which increased their test depth to 400 feet (120 m). Tang actually achieved a depth of 612 ft (187 m) during a test dive,^[6] and exceeded that test depth when taking on water in the forward torpedo room while evading a destroyer.^[7]^[8]

^ ^a ^b Friedman through 1945, pp. 285–304.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Friedman through 1945, pp. 305–311.
^ ^a ^b U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
^ Peter T. Sasgen (2002). Red Scorpion: The War Patrols of the USS Rasher. Naval Institute Press. p. 17.
^ Richard H. O'Kane (1977). Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang. Presidio Press. p. 40.
^ Richard H. O'Kane (1977). Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang. Presidio Press. p. 111.
^ Farley, Robert (18 October 2014). "The Five Best Submarines of All Time". The National Interest.

[FriedmanSubs1-dates-1] Friedman through 1945, pp. 285–304.

[Register-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.

[FriedmanSubs1-specs-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Friedman through 1945, pp. 305–311.

[FriedmanSubs1-specs_305–311-4] U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311

[5] Peter T. Sasgen (2002). Red Scorpion: The War Patrols of the USS Rasher. Naval Institute Press. p. 17.

[6] Richard H. O'Kane (1977). Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang. Presidio Press. p. 40.

[7] Richard H. O'Kane (1977). Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang. Presidio Press. p. 111.

[8] Farley, Robert (18 October 2014). "The Five Best Submarines of All Time". The National Interest.

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Class overview
USS Balao in 1944
Name	Balao class
Builders	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cramp Shipbuilding Company Mare Island Naval Shipyard Electric Boat Company Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company^[2]
Operators	United States Navy Italian Navy Turkish Navy Hellenic Navy Peruvian Navy Argentine Navy Chilean Navy Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela Republic of China Navy Royal Canadian Navy Brazilian Navy Royal Netherlands Navy Spanish Navy
Preceded by	Gato class
Succeeded by	Tench class
Built	1942–1946^[1]
In commission	1943–present^[1]
Completed	120^[2]
Cancelled	62^[2]
Active	1
Lost	14 (11 in United States service, 3 in foreign service)^[2]
Retired	105^[2]
Preserved	8^[2]
General characteristics
Type	Diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced,^[2] 2,391–2,424 tons (2,429–2463 t) submerged^[2]
Length	311 ft 6 in–311 ft 10 in (94.9–95.0 m)^[2]
Beam	27 ft 3 in–27 ft 4 in (8.3 m)^[2]
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum^[2]
Propulsion	4 × diesel engines driving electrical generators (Fairbanks-Morse or General Motors);^[2] 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries;^[3] 4 × high-speed electric motors with reduction gears or 2 × low-speed electric motors (Elliott Company or General Electric)^[2] two shafts;^[2] 5,400 shp (4,000 kW) surfaced,^[2] 2,740 shp (2,040 kW) submerged^[2]
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced,^[3] 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged^[3]
Range	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced @ 10 knots (19 km/h)^[3]
Endurance	48 hours @ 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged,^[3] 75 days on patrol
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)^[3]
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted men^[3]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes^[4] 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun^[4] Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon