USS Lamprey (SS-372)

Lamprey, immediately after launching.
History
United States
Name:	USS Lamprey (SS-372)
Builder:	Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Laid down:	22 February 1944
Launched:	18 June 1944
Commissioned:	17 November 1944
Decommissioned:	3 June 1946
Recommissioned:	1960
Decommissioned:	21 August 1960
Struck:	1 September 1971
Fate:	Transferred to Argentina, 21 August 1960
ARA Santiago del Estero (S-12), ex-Lamprey (SS-372) at anchor at Mar del Plata naval base
Argentina
Name:	ARA Santiago del Estero (S-12)
Acquired:	21 July 1960
Commissioned:	3 November 1960
Out of service:	1971
Fate:	Broken up for use as spare parts
General characteristics
Class and type:	Balao class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement:	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged
Length:	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)
Beam:	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft:	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion:	4 × General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears two propellers 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Speed:	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged
Range:	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance:	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged 75 days on patrol
Test depth:	400 ft (120 m)
Complement:	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted
Armament:	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

USS Lamprey (SS-372), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the lamprey, any of certain eel-like aquatic vertebrates.

Lamprey (SS-372) was laid down 22 February 1944 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin; launched 18 June 1944, sponsored by Mrs. W. T. Nelson; and commissioned 17 November 1944, Commander William T. Nelson in command.

After trials, tests, and training in Lake Michigan, the new submarine entered a floating drydock on 7 December at Lockport, Illinois; was floated down the Mississippi River; and arrived at New Orleans on 13 December. Four days later she departed New Orleans for the Pacific.

Lamprey sailed from Pearl Harbor 17 February 1945 for the coast of Luzon and her first war patrol. She steamed on life guard duty off Formosa and Hong Kong until 29 March; transited the Singapore Straits 8 April; and the next day steamed through the Karimata Straits into the Java Sea. She sighted no worthwhile targets, however, because most of Japan's merchant marine and naval fleet had been destroyed. The submarine headed for a refit at Fremantle, Australia, arriving 22 April 1945.

Under a new commanding officer, Lt. Comdr. Lucien B. McDonald, Lamprey cleared Fremantle 21 May and entered the Java Sea bound for her patrol area in the Siam Gulf. On 28 May Lamprey and USS Blueback closed for a coordinated gun attack which damaged and set afire a 600-ton escort ship. Lamprey set course for Subic Bay where she arrived 29 June.