USS Cisco

USS Cisco (SS-290), a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the cisco, a whitefish of the Great Lakes.

Construction and commissioning
Cisco's keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 24 December 1942, sponsored by Mrs. A. C. Bennett, through her proxy, Mrs. N. Robertson, and commissioned on 10 May 1943 with Commander James W. Coe in command.

Service history
Cisco reported to the United States Pacific Fleet. She sailed from Panama on 7 August 1943 for Brisbane, Australia, arriving 1 September to assume local patrol duties, until 18 September, when she docked at Darwin, Australia. She put out on her first war patrol 20 September 1943, but never returned. Japanese records tell of sighting a submarine leaking oil on 28 September in an area where Cisco is known to have been the only submarine then operating. Japanese records state this submarine was sunk by bombs and depth charges. Japanese records state that the submarine was attacked by Nakajima B5N (Allied reporting name "Kate") attack bombers of the 954 Naval Air Squadron and the gunboat Karatsu (originally the U.S. Navy gunboat USS Luzon (PR-7), captured by Japanese forces and put to work against her former owners). Cisco is thus presumed to have been lost in action 28 September 1943. The only survivor from the crew was taken sick in Darwin and sent ashore to the Navy hospital prior to Cisco's final voyage.