later, she sank Hachirogata Maru. Following this sinking, she rescued two Japanese survivors. The next month proved fruitless, and Apogon arrived at Midway on 28 October, ending her fifth patrol. After a month of refit, Apogon commenced her sixth patrol on 20 November, again sailing for the Kuril Islands. The only action of this patrol was an attack on a tanker, which the submarine hit and damaged with a torpedo 19 December 1944. On 5 January 1945, Apogon arrived in Pearl Harbor for a brief stay before getting underway on 7 January for the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California to undergo a major overhaul.Apogon returned to action on 28 May. Her patrol station was the Kuril Islands-Sea of Okhotsk area. She attacked a convoy of four Japanese ships and escort vessels on 18 June and sank one 2,614-ton transport, Hakuai Maru and sank the guardboat Kusonoki Maru no.2. On 2 July, Apogon severely damaged two small auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 58 and Cha 65. The patrol ended on 14 July at Midway.Apogon began her eighth and final patrol on 7 August. She was assigned to the Marcus Island area. She made no attacks during this patrol because the Japanese capitulated on 15 August. Apogon returned to Pearl Harbor on 2 September and then continued on to San Diego, where she arrived on 11 September. Apogon was placed in reserve and decommissioned there on 1 October. Post-War Operation Crossroads In January 1946, the submarine sailed for Pearl Harbor where she was to undergo preliminary work and tests in preparation to be used as a target in atomic bomb testing. Following completion of this refitting, Apogon arrived at Bikini Atoll on 31 May. She was sunk at Bikini during atomic bomb test "Baker" on 25 July 1946. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 25 February 1947. AwardsApogon'' received six battle stars for her World War II service. References External links Kill Record: USS Apogon Balao-class submarines World War II submarines of the United States Ships built in Kittery, Maine 1943 ships Ships sunk as targets Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean Ships involved in Operation Crossroads Maritime incidents in 1946