Lancetfish (SS-296) is finally on a level keel on March 23, 1945, eight days following her accidental sinking at Pier 8 East of theBoston Navy Yard. She would be decommissioned the following day, 24 March.
History
United States
Builder	William Cramp & Sons,Philadelphia[1]
Yard number	551
Laid down	30 September 1942[1]
Launched	15 August 1943[1]
Commissioned	12 February 1945[1]
Decommissioned	24 March 1945[1]
Stricken	9 June 1958[1]
Fate	Sold for scrap, 20 August 1959[1]
General characteristics
Class & type	Balao-classdiesel-electricsubmarine[2]
Displacement	1,526 tons (1550 t) surfaced[2] 2,424 tons (2460 t) submerged[2]
Length	311 ft 8 in (95.00 m)[2]
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2]
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum[2]
Propulsion	4 ×Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-1⁄8 9-cylinderopposed-pistondiesel engines drivingelectrical generators[3][4] 2 × 126-cellSargobatteries[5] 4 × high-speedElliottelectric motors withreduction gears[3] 2 × propellers[3] 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced[3] 2,740 shp (2.04 MW) submerged[3]
Speed	20.25 knots (37 km/h) surfaced[6] 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged[6]
Range	11,000 nm (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)[6]
Endurance	48 hours at 2 knots (4 km/h) submerged[6] 75 days on patrol
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)[6]
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted[6]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes 1 × 4-inch (102 mm) / 50 caliber deck gun Bofors 40 mm andOerlikon 20 mm cannon

USSLancetfish (SS-296), aBalao-classsubmarine, was the only ship of theUnited States Navy to be named for thelancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox), a large voracious, deep sea fish having longlancetlike teeth and a high long dorsal fin.

Her keel was laid down on 30 September 1942 byCramp Shipbuilding Company ofPhiladelphia. She waslaunched on 15 August 1943 sponsored by Miss Beatrice P. Barker, towed toBoston Navy Yard 19 May 1944 for completion, andcommissioned 12 February 1945.

While tied up alongside Pier 8,Lancetfish flooded through an afttorpedo tube and sank 15 March 1945. She was raised eight days later and decommissioned 24 March. Assigned to theAtlantic Reserve Fleet in uncompleted condition, she was transferred to the First Naval District 27 February 1947 and was assigned to theNew London Group 9 December 1952. She was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on 9 June 1958 and sold for scrap for $57,189 on 20 August 1959 having never gone to sea on patrol, to Yale Waste Company, Boston, Massachusetts.

AlthoughLancetfish was commissioned at the time of her sinking, she never saw active service, and she is not counted among the 52 American submarines lost during World War II.

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• Balao-class submarines
• World War II submarines of the United States
• Ships built by William Cramp & Sons
• 1943 ships
• Maritime incidents in March 1945
• United States submarine accidents

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