Gato class submarine

The Gato-class of submarine was the state of the art in American design at the start of World War II. Using the previous Tambor-class submarine as the model standard, the Gatos incorporated improvements that increased their overall patrolling and combat abilities. Modifications to the diesel engines and batteries increased patrol duration over that of the Tambors, and internal alterations provided more amenities for the crew. The class is named after its lead ship, the USS Gato (SS-212).

General characteristics

• Displacement: 1825 tons surfaced, 2410 tons submerged
• Length: 312 ft (95 m)
• Beam: 27 ft (8.2 m)
• Draft: 15 ft (4.6 m)
• Depth: 300 ft (90 m)
• Speed: 20.75 knots (38 km/h) surfaced, 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged
• Armament: 1 x 3 in (76 mm) 50 caliber gun, 2 x 20 mm cannon, 6 x 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes forward, four aft
• Crew: 65 to 74 officers and men
• Powerplant: 4 x 6500 hp (4.8 MW) diesel engines and 4 x 2740 hp (2.0 MW) electric motors
• Range: 11,800 nautical miles (21,900 km) at 10 knots (37 km/h) surfaced