For all time, a Gudgeon has been a small fresh-water fish in the minnow family. In January 1942, another type of Gudgeon roamed the Pacific Ocean, acting more like a great white shark than a three-inch bottom feeder, and achieved two little-known but very important "firsts" for the hard pressed Navy in the early days of World War II.

USS Gudgeon (SS-211) was a "T" Class Fleet Submarine built at the Mare Island Navy Yard. Launched Jan. 25, 1941, and commissioned Apr. 21, 1941, she was commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Elton W. (Jumping Joe) Grenfell. "T's" were nearly 308 feet long and displaced 2,370 tons submerged. Her "teeth" were 24 21-inch torpedoes launched through ten torpedo tubes. She had a compliment of 80 to 85 of America's finest young men.

The trip to the record books began with a normal shakedown and cruise in the Pacific. Gudgeon left for Hawaii by way of Alaskan waters in Oct. 1941. Dec. 7th found her in the Lahaina Training area. Shortly thereafter, she departed on wartime patrol.

Gudgeon was the "first" U.S. submarine to venture into the Sea of Japan, in 1942, a Japanese lake. According to war reports made by the Gudgeon, " ships are running singly without zigzagging. Sampans are operating with running lights on and there is no black-out at night in port facilities."

Gudgeon's first sighting of an enemy ship was in the Bungo Suido. A small coastal freighter was tracked at long range and disappeared over the horizon without even knowing a member of America's Silent Service lurked in the area.

Several days later, the first shooting opportunity arrived, another coastal freighter proceeding on its own, as if there wasn't a war on. Making a daylight run in enemy waters was a risk that had to be taken. Slowly, the boat made its approach on the enemy vessel only to discover that the angle on the bow was 90 degrees starboard and there would not be a good shot, let alone a close shot to assure a hit. Lt. Cmdr. Grenfell was able to get within 26-hundred yards before firing. Two torpedoes at long range was better than not firing at all. He might as well have saved them - they both missed. Twenty-three days into the patrol and still nothing on the bottom of the sea. To say the least, Gudgeon's crew was upset.

Now it was again time to wait for the next target opportunity. Five days later, the next "Maru" appeared on the horizon. This time the Gudgeon was more than ready. A night surface attack. Tubes were flooded, torpedoes ready forward and aft, the outer doors on the tubes were open. A sure shot, they even had the target silhouetted in the moonlight. Range 2500 yards. Angle on the bow excellent. Three fish streak toward the target. The Soundman reports explosions and no propeller noise. There is jubilation throughout the ship. There is no confirmation. Japanese records after the war show no sinkings that day in that area. Their records for merchant ships were less than accurate. At that time of the war, torpedoes used by U.S. submarines were less than accurate and even less reliable at exploding where they were supposed too. The sounds heard could have come from any of a dozen sources.

The trip out to the operating area had taken 21-1/2 days, they had been in the area for 12 days and still nothing to show for it. Lt. Cmdr. Grenfell felt it would take another 21 to get back to Pearl Harbor. But go back they must.

On the night of January 25, three Japanese submarines made their good-bye to their operating area by shelling the airfield at Midway Island with their deck guns. Several rounds from the 4.7 inch weapons made a great display. They, like the crew of Gudgeon, were heading back to safer waters. One of them is the I-1 73.

The I-173 was a Kaido Type Class I-168, variant KD. A submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was built in the Kawasaki Dockyard at Kobe between 1935 and 1938. The I-173 was nearly as lethal as Gudgeon with six 21-inch torpedo tubes to deal out 14 torpedoes. Her crew consisted of 82-84 descendents of the Samurai.

Gudgeon intercepted radio messages from the Naval Air Station reporting the attack. Enemy subs were in the area and heading west while Gudgeon was heading east.

When the scenario calls for sub against sub, the victor will usually be the one who spots the other first. At nine A.M. Jan. 27 the sound man reports fast screws on the port bow.

The exec is on the periscope and swings it around to the bearing given and there it is, a submarine on the surface on an opposite course.

The klaxon gives off its raucous blast and Lt. Lyons, the exec, calls, "General Quarters. Make ready all forward tubes. Down scope."

Lt. Cmdr. Grenfell and the fire control party are in place in less than a minute.

Grenfell calls, "Up scope, bearings.

"Range, mark.

"Down scope."Information from the CO's look through the scope at the enemy undersea ship is fed into the Torpedo Data Computer (TDC). Sound reports a speed of 16.5 knots. Grenfell puts it at 15. He checks the target twice more and decides to close the range a little. Seven minutes have gone by.

"Up scope."Final bearing and shoot."Fire one. Fire two. Fire three." Eighty-one seconds later two distinct shocks are felt in the boat. Sound reports no propeller noises.

The evidence of hitting the sub is no better than the freighter. Grenfell is sure he has sunk it.

Japanese records are much better for war ships. The I-173 had been on patrol in the Hawaiian area and was missing after Jan. 27. There is little doubt what happened to it.

Gudgeon has performed her second "first" on her patrol. There is no fanfare. It may not even have been realized that Gudgeon had made history for the U.S. Navy. Never before had a U.S. submarine sunk an enemy combatant. The I-173 is it. One year and six days have passed since Gudgeon was launched.

Gudgeon won the Presidential Unit Citation for her first eight war patrols, sank 25 ships for 166,400 tons and damaged eight more for 41,900 tons.

On April 7, 1944, Gudgeon stops at Johnston Island on her 12th war patrol. The ship is not yet three years old. She is on her way to the northern Marianas. Now under the command of Lt. Cmdr. R.A. Bonin, she tops off her diesel tanks, heads out and is never heard from again.