USS Puffer (SS-268), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the puffer. Construction and commissioning Puffer was laid down by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on 16 February 1942; launched on 21 November 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Ruth B. Lyons, granddaughter of the oldest employee at Manitowoc Shipbuilding, Christian Jacobson, Sr.; and commissioned on 27 April 1943, Lieutenant Commander Marvin John Jensen in command. Service history Puffer was transported down the Mississippi to New Orleans on a special floating drydock, having periscope shears re-installed en route. After receiving torpedoes and ammunition, she exercised off Panama for a month, and then headed across the Pacific to Australia. Puffer arrived there in early September 1943. First and second war patrols, September 1943 – January 1944 Puffer′s first war patrol, to intercept Japanese commerce in the Makassar Strait–Celebes Sea area, 7 September to 17 October, resulted in several damaged ships but no sinkings. On October 9, after damaging a merchantman (Kumagawa Maru), she endured a nearly 38-hour depth charging from 2 Japanese sub chasers and was slightly damaged. On 24 November Puffer departed on her second patrol, in the Sulu Sea and the approaches to Manila. On 13 December, she made a successful attack on freighter Teiko Maru (ex-Vichy French steamship D'Artagnan). On 20 December she sank the old 820-ton escorting destroyer IJN Fuyō, and on 1 January 1944, 6,707-ton freighter Ryuyo Maru, before putting into Fremantle for refit 12 January. Third and fourth war patrols, February – June 1944 Puffer departed for her third war patrol, in the South China Sea, 4 February. On 22 February, she sank the 15,105-ton transport Teikyo Maru. Returning to Fremantle 4 April, she departed again on her fourth war patrol on 30 April for Madoera Straits, Makassar Straits and the Sulu Sea. She acted as life guard for the first Allied carrier strike on Soerabaia, sank 3,181-ton freighter Shinryu Maru 18 May, then on 5 June, attacked three tankers, sinking 2,166-ton Ashizuri and 2,500-ton Takasaki. She ended this most successful patrol, for which she received the Navy Unit Commendation, at Fremantle 21 June. Fifth war patrol, July 1944 – ~ 1944 On 14 July Puffer departed for her fifth war patrol, in Makassar Straits, the Celebes, Sulu, and South China Seas. She made contact with a submarine tender screened by five escorts on 21 July,