The Gato Class, along with submarines from the Balao and Tench Classes, was to form the back bone of the US Submarine force during World War Two. The Gato's were the culmination of many years of experience with other classes and the lessons learned were incorporated into a vessel that was perfectly suited to the mode of war that they would fight in, namely the Pacific theatre. They were large vessels compared to Submarines from other navies, but needed to be so because of the long distances involved in crossing the Pacific Ocean to their assigned patrol areas.
Gato Class Dimensions
Length
- 311 feet 9 inches
Beam - 27 feet 3 inches
Displacement - 1526/2410 tons
Speed - 21/9 knots
Test Depth - 300 feet
Armament - 6 - 21 inch torpedo tubes forward
4 - 21 inch torpedo tubes aft
