One of the best restored World War II fleet boats, Pampanito earned six battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific, sinking five vessels with a total tonnage of 27,332 tons.

Her biggest day came on September 12, 1944, when she and two other submarines surprised an 11-ship convoy and sank seven vessels. Later, Pampanito rescued more than 73 Allied prisoners of war who had been carried aboard the enemy transports unbeknown to the submariners.

Laid up after the war, Pampanito was acquired by the Maritime Park Association (formerly the National Maritime Museum Association) and opened to the public at Pier 45, near San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. Pampanito conducts youth group overnight encampments.

USS Pampanito is a National Historic Landmark.

Class: Balao Launched: July 12, 1943 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Commissioned: November 6, 1943. Length: 311 feet, 8 inches. Beam: 27 feet, 4 inches
Draft: 17 feet (surface trim). Displacement: 1,525 tons. Armament: Ten 21-inch torpedo tubes; one 4-inch/50 caliber gun; one 40 mm Bofors; one 20 mm Oerlikon gun. Copyright (C) 1997-2004, Historic Naval Ships Association.