her fuel, provisions, and torpedoes. On 2 April, Balao submerged rapidly to avoid detection by a large, low-flying enemy plane and took on several feet of water in her conning tower, grounding out her radar and other electrical gear. Despite these problems, she arrived safely at Guam on 8 April for refit. Ninth patrol, May – June 1945 The submarine began her ninth patrol on 3 May when she headed for the Yellow Sea to patrol in a wolfpack with , , and . Targets were scarce and mechanical difficulties plagued Balao. On 19 May, the submarine attacked a small freighter, but all three of the torpedoes that she fired missed the target. Nevertheless, she did win a consolation prize when one of her torpedoes struck and sank a nearby 30-ton junk. On 23 May, Balaos earlier mechanical difficulties rendered her stern diving planes totally inoperable, and she received orders to Pearl Harbor for refit. En route, she embarked a sailor from suffering from appendicitis and an injured crewman. Later that evening, although the radar scope was clear and no other submarines were known to be in the vicinity, Balao was suddenly attacked by torpedoes. The quick reactions of the officer of the deck caused two to pass to port and two to starboard. The submarine continued on to Midway where she arrived on 3 June, discharged her passengers, and set a course for Pearl Harbor where she arrived four days later. Tenth patrol, July – August 1945 A month in port readied her for sea once more, and Balao got underway on 7 July for the Nanpō Islands area and waters east of Honshū. Her primary duty during this tenth and final war patrol was to provide lifeguard services for Allied aircrew during strikes on the Japanese home islands. Balao operated with air cover while on station and rescued four aviators during the patrol. Japan had been so weakened by the final weeks of the war that surface contacts were scarce. She was able to sink one picket boat and damage another with gunfire on 14 August. Word of Japan's capitulation came on 15 August along with orders to cease fire. Balao rendezvoused with the next day to transfer the rescued aviators, then proceeded on to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 25 August. Post-War The submarine departed Pearl Harbor on 31 August for Staten Island, New York, where