An improved Gato-class design with a thicker, higher-strength pressure hull that pushed test depth deeper, the 120-strong Balao class became the largest US submarine class of the war. USS Tang, a Balao boat, reportedly exceeded her depth gauge's maximum reading while evading a destroyer attack and survived.
Removed caption read: Photo # NH 98043 USS Balao off the Mare Island Navy Yard, 25 October 1944 · Public domain · sourceMuzzle view of 5 inch 25 caliber gun on the deck of submarine USS Bowfin (SS-287), in Pearl Harbor. See File:Breech view 5 inch 25 caliber gun USS Bowfin.jpg for breech view.Flickr user : https://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago · CC BY 2.0 · sourceGeneral Motors Model 16-248 V16 diesel engine installed in the USS Bowfin at Pearl HarborBrandon W. Smith · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source