USS Archerfish, a 1525-ton Balao class submarine built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hampshire, was commissioned in September 1943. She served in the Pacific throughout World War II. On 29 November 1944, Archerfish torpedoed and sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano, the largest warship ever lost in combat. In addition to regular war patrol activities, she also performed aircrew rescue duties and was present in Tokyo Bay at the time of Japan's formal surrender on 2 September 1945.

Out of commission between June 1946 and March 1952, Archerfish operated in the Atlantic during 1952-55 and decommissioned for a second time in October 1955. Recommissioned in August 1957, her subsequent employment was mainly as a scientific research submarine. She was redesignated AGSS-311 in 1960 and participated in Operation "Sea Scan", a global oceanographic undertaking that ran into the mid-1960s. Archerfish continued her research support service in the Pacific until removed from active service in May 1968. She was sunk as a target the following October.