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Career
Ordered:
Laid down:	27 October 1933
Launched:	20 June 1935
Commissioned:	15 August 1935
Decommissioned:	15 November 1945
Fate:	sold for scrapping
Stricken:	13 August 1956
General characteristics
Displacement:	Surfaced: 1,310 tons (1330 Mg), submerged: 1,934 tons (1917 m³)
Length:	283 ft (86 m) waterline, 301 ft (92 m) overall
Beam:	24 ft 11 in (7.6 m)
Draft:	13 ft 1 in (3.12 m)
Propulsion:	diesel-electric drive, 16cyl Winton Engine Co. Type 201 diesel engines (2/shaft), 4300 hp (3210 kW); Elliott Motor electric motors (2/shaft), 2085 hp (1555 kW), 240-cells Exide battery, two shafts
Fuel capacity:	93,129 US gal (352,530 L, 373 tons) oil fuel
Speed:	Surfaced 19 knots (35 km/h), submerged 8 knots (15 km/h)
Test depth:	250 ft (75 m)
Complement:	5 officers, 45 enlisted
Armament:	6 x 21 in (53cm) torpedo tubes (four forward, two aft, 16 torpedoes) 1 x3in (76mm)/50 caliber antiaircraft deck gun, 2 x .50 cal (12.7 mm) & 2 x .30 cal (7.62 mm) machineguns

The fifth USS Porpoise (SS–172) was laid down at the U.S. Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 27 October 1933; launched 20 June 1935; sponsored by Miss Eva Croft; and commissioned 15 August 1935 by Lt. Comdr. Stuart S. "Sunshine" Murray.

After shakedown, Porpoise transited the Panama Canal and joined the Pacific Fleet at San Diego 1 September 1936. After gunnery and torpedo practice off the West Coast, she participated in Fleet Problem No. 18 in the Hawaiian area, April–May 1937, and toward the end of the year underwent extensive overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard. In January 1938 she returned to Pearl Harbor for fleet exercises, and on 19 November 1939 got underway for Manila to join the Asiatic Fleet. From December 1939 to December 1941, she was engaged in various exercises with Submarines, Asiatic Fleet.

At the outbreak of the war with Japan, 8 December 1941, Porpoise (now in the hands of Lt. Cdr Joseph A. Callaghan, Class of 1924) was at Olongapo, P.I., undergoing a refit. With all four main engines being overhauled and her entire after battery out, the required work was accomplished in record time. The sub moved to Manila 20 December, and two days later was underway on her first war patrol (22 December–31 January 1942) in Lingayen Gulf and the South China Sea off French Indo-China. Retiring by way of Balikpapan, where the Dutch were demolshing their oil wells, Porpoise attacked two ships without result before ending her patrol at Surabaya, Java.

Conducting her 2nd war patrol in the Netherlands East Indies (9 February–30 March), she scored on a cargo ship before anchoring at Fremantle, Western Australia. Then, with the ultimate destination of Pearl Harbor, she returned to the East Indies for her 3rd war patrol (26 April–17 June). She made one unsuccessful attack on a cargo ship and rescued five airmen off the enemy held island of Ju before heading out across the Pacific.

After a major overhaul at Mare Island, Porpoise departed Pearl Harbor for her 4th war patrol (30 November–15 January 1943) off the coast of Honshū. On 1 January 1943 she sank 4999-ton cargo ship Renzan Maru, then set course for Midway where she completed the patrol. Her 5th war patrol (6 February–15 April), off Jaluit Atoll, was highlighted by the sinking of 2024-ton cargo ship Koa Maru 4 April 1943.

After refit at Pearl Harbor, Porpoise sailed on her sixth patrol (20 June–28 July), performing reconnaissance of Taroa Island and in the Marshalls. Scoring hits on two cargo ships early in her patrol, she then sank 2718-ton passenger-cargo ship Mikage Maru No. 20 on 19 July before returning to Pearl Harbor.

Due to leaky fuel oil tanks Porpoise departed Pearl Harbor for New London, Connecticut, where she was to be used as a training sub. She arrived in September 1943, and, interrupted only for overhaul, at Philadelphia, May–June 1944, she served on this duty until inactivated. She decommissioned 15 November 1945 at Boston, Mass., and remained in reserve until 8 May 1947, when she was placed in service and assigned to the 8th Naval District. For the next nine years she trained Naval Reservists in the Houston, Tex., area. Stricken from the Navy List 13 August 1956, she was sold for scrap to Southern Scrap Material Co., Ltd., New Orleans, La. 14 May 1957.

Porpoise earned 5 battle stars for World War II service.

See USS Porpoise for other ships of the same name.

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.