Editing Balao-class submarine (section)

==Boats in class==
{{main|List of Balao-class submarines}}

This was the most numerous US submarine class; 120 of these boats were commissioned from February 1943 through September 1948, with 12 commissioned postwar. Nine of the 52 US submarines lost in World War II were of this class, along with five lost postwar, including one in Turkish service in 1953, one in Argentine service in the [[Falklands War]] of 1982, and one in Peruvian service in 1988.<ref name="Register"/><ref name=SubLoss1>''United States Submarine Losses in World War II'', Naval History Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington: 1963 (Fifth Printing)</ref> Also, {{USS|Lancetfish|SS-296|2}} flooded and sank while fitting out at the [[Boston Naval Shipyard]] on 15 March 1945. She was raised but not repaired, and was listed with the [[United States Navy reserve fleet|reserve fleet]] postwar until struck in 1958. Some of the class served actively in the US Navy through the middle 1970s, and one (''Hai Pao'' ex-{{USS|Tusk|SS-426|2}}) is still active in Taiwan's [[Republic of China Navy]].

SS-361 through SS-364 were initially ordered as ''Balao''-class, and were assigned hull numbers that fall in the middle of the range of numbers for the ''Balao'' class (SS-285 to SS-416 & 425–426).<ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/04idx.htm Fleet Submarine index at NavSource.org]</ref> Thus, in some references they are listed with that class.<ref>Lenton, p. 94</ref> However, they were completed by [[Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company|Manitowoc]] as ''Gato''s, due to an unavoidable delay in [[Electric Boat]]'s development of ''Balao''-class drawings. Manitowoc was a follow yard to Electric Boat, and was dependent on them for designs and drawings.<ref>Friedman through 1945, p. 209</ref><ref name="Register"/> Also, {{USS|Trumpetfish|SS-425}} and {{USS|Tusk|SS-426}} are listed with the ''Tench'' class in some references, as their hull numbers fall in the range of that class.<ref>Lenton, pp. 100-102</ref><ref>Silverstone, p. 203</ref>

=== Cancellations ===

A total of 125 U.S. submarines were cancelled during World War II, all but three between 29 July 1944 and 12 August 1945. The exceptions were three ''Tench''-class boats, cancelled 7 January 1946. References vary considerably as to how many of these were ''Balao''s and how many were ''Tench''es. Some references simply assume all submarines numbered after SS-416 were ''Tench'' class; however, {{USS|Trumpetfish|SS-425|3}} and {{USS|Tusk|SS-426|3}} were completed as ''Balao''s.<ref>Silverstone, pp. 203-204</ref><ref>Gardiner and Chesneau, pp. 145-147</ref> This yields 10 cancelled ''Balao''-class, SS-353-360 and 379–380. The ''Register of Ships of the U. S. Navy'' differs, considering every submarine not specifically ordered as a ''Tench'' to be a ''Balao'', and further projecting SS-551-562 as a future class.<ref name="Register"/> This yields 62 cancelled ''Balao'' class, 51 cancelled ''Tench'' class, and 12 cancelled future class. Two of the cancelled ''Balao''-class submarines, {{USS|Turbot|SS-427|3}} and {{USS|Ulua|SS-428|3}}, were launched incomplete and served for years as experimental hulks at [[Annapolis]] and [[Naval Station Norfolk|Norfolk, Virginia]]. The cancelled hull numbers, including those launched incomplete, were SS-353–360 (''Balao''), 379–380 (''Balao''), 427–434 (''Balao''), 436–437 (''Tench''), 438–474 (''Balao''), 491–521 (''Tench''), 526–529 (''Tench''), 530–536 (''Balao''), 537–550 (''Tench''), and 551–562 (future).<ref name="Register"/>