USS Billfish (SS-286), named for any fish, such as gar or spearfish, with bill-shaped jaws, was laid down on 23 July 1942 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard at Kittery, Maine. She was christened by Mrs. Lewis S. Parks, wife of Lieutenant Commander Parks, and launched on 12 November 1942. The Balao Class submarine was commissioned on 20 April 1943 with Lieutenant Commander F. C. Lucas, Junior, in command.

When commissioned, the Fleet Type submarine displaced 1,526 tons on the surface when in diving trim and drew 16'10" of water when in that condition; was 311'8" in length overall; had a beam of 27'3"; could make 20.3 knots on the surface and ten knots submerged (for one hour); was manned by 66 officers and men; and was armed with one 5-inch deck gun and ten 21-inch torpedo tubes (six forward and four aft). Twenty-four torpedoes could be carried. This submarine could also carry and lay mines.

Between 12 August 1943 and 27 August 1945, USS Billfish made eight World War Two war patrols out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaiian Islands. During these patrols, she sank three freighters totaling 4,074 tons and five smaller craft. Part of her seventh and eighth war patrols were spent on plane guard duty...to rescue downed pilots at sea...off Japan.

USS Billfish arrived at Pearl Harbor on 27 August 1945 from her last war patrol and was ordered to the Atlantic Ocean for duty with the United States Atlantic Fleet. World War II ended with Japan's surrender on board Battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on the Second of September 1945.

USS Billfish arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 19 September and spent the next nine months in maneuvers and training exercises off the east coast of the United States.

Following inactivation at the Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Navy Yard from June through October of 1946, she was towed to the United States Naval Submarine Base at New London/Groton, Connecticut, by ATR (Ocean Rescue Tug)-64, was placed in the Reserve (Mothball) Fleet, there, and, on 1 November 1946, was placed "out of commission in reserve."

During 1959, USS Billfish was towed to Boston, Massachusetts, for duty as the dockside training submarine for the submarine naval reservists drilling in the Boston area. She was placed in service, in reserve, on 1 January 1960...and commenced duty as the Naval Reserve Training Submarine.

On 1 December 1962, USS Billfish (SS-286) was redesignated USS Billfish (AGSS-286). AGSS means "Auxiliary Submarine."

Her duty at Boston was terminated on 1 April 1968, when the submarine was decommissioned for the second time and stricken from the Naval Register (the "Navy List").

Sc Eckhardt and Company of Hamburg, West Germany, bought the submarine for $77,777 for scrapping. On 17 March 1971, USS Billfish was delivered to that company for that purpose.

USS Billfish (SS-286) received seven battle stars for her World War II service.