Captains!

Join us as we submerge into the deep history of our game’s latest Tier X submarine and arm ourselves with all the info we need to come out on top aboard this underwater menace!

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Historical Basis

Much like the Kriegsmarine in the Atlantic, the U.S. Navy held a tight grip on its adversaries’ shipping routes in the Pacific Ocean during World War II through the clever use of submarines. However, the tactics, doctrines, and designs regarding the use of this weapon differed greatly between the two nations’ navies. Unlike the small, agile U-boats, American submarines tended to be larger and clumsier, but their superior range and larger load of torpedoes allowed for longer patrols in the vast Pacific.

The Gato-class submarine is the perfect example of such a vessel. With 77 units built in total, this mass-produced boat was constructed between 1941 and 1944 and served successfully in the Pacific. These submarines sank not just innumerable tons of vital Japanese cargo shipments but also heavy warships such as aircraft carriers Taiho and Shōkaku, and even legendary battleship Musashi.

The lead boat of the class saw 13 combat patrols between the frigid Aleutian Islands of Alaska to the tropical waters of New Guinea. Gato attacked Japanese transport convoys, provided reconnaissance for the fleet, and even evacuated civilians from military hotspots. On a few occasions, she was attacked by enemy anti-submarine ships, and after one such attack, the crew even discovered a live depth charge lodged on her deck. Gato was present in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. After the war, she was used as a training ship before being decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1960.

Modeling the Ship

Upgrades

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Key Features

• Can launch standard torpedoes with a long range or acoustic torpedoes with a short range—both types deal solid damage
• Has a small dive capacity that recovers quite quickly
• Low underwater speed but high surface speed
• Access to the Enhanced Rudder Gears consumable

Gato in the Armory