USS Hoe (SS-258), a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the hoe, one of various sharks, especially the dogfish. Construction and commissioning Hoe′s keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company at Groton, Connecticut on 2 January 1942. She was launched on 17 September 1942, sponsored by Miss Helen Hess, and commissioned on 16 December 1942. First and second war patrols, May – October 1943 After shakedown, Hoe sailed 19 April 1943 via the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 15 May. She departed on her first combat war patrol 27 May, and patrolled the Guam-Palaus area. Hoe damaged two freighters before returning 11 July to Pearl Harbor via Ulithi and Midway Atoll. Hoe'''s second patrol, conducted west of Truk, was marred by considerable engine trouble. The submarine departed 21 August, damaged one tanker, and eluded several depth charge attacks before returning to Pearl Harbor 18 October 1943. She also took part in the search for downed aviators off Wake Island, 8–9 October. Third, fourth, and fifth war patrols, January – August 1944 Following extensive repairs, Hoe set out on her third patrol 26 January 1944. Patrolling between Mindanao and Halmahera, the submarine made an attack 16 February which damaged one ship. Although shadowed by escort vessels, Hoe detected another convoy 25 February and in two separate attacks sank tanker Nissho Maru. She returned to Fremantle, Australia, 5 March for refit and training.Hoe began her fourth war patrol from Fremantle 4 April, and operated in the South China Sea, the vital Japanese sea supply line. She attacked a convoy 8 May, but scored no hits. Two more attacks 17 May and 19 May resulted in several damaged freighters and severe retaliatory depth charge attacks on Hoe. She returned to Fremantle 2 June 1944. Her fifth war patrol, in the same area, was conducted between 29 June and 23 August 1944. Sixth and seventh war patrols, September 1944 – January 1945 The veteran submarine sailed on her sixth patrol 15 September as leader of a coordinated attack group consisting of Hoe, , and . Operating southwest of Lingayen Gulf, the submarines accounted for some 38,000 tons of valuable Japanese shipping in five night surface attacks. Hoe was credited with the sinking of passenger-cargo ship Kohoko Maru 8 October, and returned to Fremantle 22 October. Her seventh patrol, 23 November 1944 to 3