USS Tang became the most successful U.S. submarine of World War II by ships sunk, according to the postwar assessment of its patrol record.
A Balao-class submarine, Tang entered service in 1943 and completed five war patrols in the Pacific. Under commander Richard O’Kane, it attacked Japanese shipping and was credited with sinking 33 ships, totaling more than 116,000 tons. Those figures made Tang one of the most effective American submarines of the war.
Tang’s career ended during its fifth patrol in October 1944. One of its own torpedoes malfunctioned, turned back, and struck the submarine. Tang sank in the Taiwan Strait, although several sailors survived and were captured. O’Kane was among the survivors.
The boat is sometimes confused with USS Tautog or USS Wahoo, both highly successful U.S. submarines. Rankings can vary depending on whether historians count ships, tonnage, or later corrections, but Tang is the standard answer for the U.S. Navy’s top World War II ship-sinking total.