>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.19.





LAGARTO



		Lagarto:  A lizard fish.





SS-371



Displacement:  

	Surfaced:  1,526 t.

	Submerged:  2,424 t.

Length:  311’9”

Beam:  27’3”

Draft:  15’3”

Speed:  

	Surfaced:  20 k.

	Submerged:  8.5 k.

Complement:  66

Armament:  1 5”; 10 21” torpedo tubes

Class:  BALAO



	LAGARTO (SS-371) was laid down 12 January 1944 by the 

Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wis.; launched 28 May 

1944; sponsored by Mrs. Paul H. Douglas, Congresswoman from 

Illinois and wife of Capt. Paul H. Douglas, USMCR, (later 

U.S. Senator from Illinois); and commissioned 14 October 

1944, Comdr. F. D. Latta in command.



	After trial tests and training in Lake Michigan, 

LAGARTO entered a floating drydock 3 December 1944, was 

floated down the Mississippi River, and 2 days later 

departed New Orleans for the Pacific.



	LAGARTO sailed from Pearl Harbor 7 February 1945 for 

her maiden war patrol in waters around the Nansei Shoto.  In 

a coordinated attack 13 February with submarines HADDOCK 

(SS-231) and SENNET (SS-408), she engaged four heavily armed 

picket boats in a gun battle, sank two, and damaged the 

others.  On 24 February, LAGARTO sank small freighter 

TATSUMONO MARU off Bungo Suido and not long afterward 

spotted a Japanese submarine.  She torpedoed and sank enemy 

submarine I-371 in a day periscope attack.  LAGARTO arrived 

Subic Bay 20 March.



	LAGARTO departed Subic Bay for the South China Sea 12 

April and late in April was directed to patrol in the Gulf 

of Siam, where sister ship BAYA (SS-318) joined her 2 May.  

That afternoon BAYA signaled that she was tracking a tanker 

traveling under heavy escort.  That night BAYA tried to 

attack but was driven off by enemy escorts equipped with 

radar.  The two submarines met early next morning to discuss 

attack plans.  BAYA made a midnight attack but was again 

driven off by the unusually alert Japanese escorts.  Early 

next morning, 4 May, when BAYA tried to contact her 

teammate, LAGARTO made no reply.  Since Japanese records 

state that during the night of 3-4 May, mine layer HATSUTAKA 

attacked a U.S. submarine in that location, it is presumed 

that LAGARTO perished in battle with all hands.



	LAGARTO received one battle star for World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com