The Gato class submarine was designed to cover the large areas of the Pacific Ocean. Immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy’s fleet of Gato subs began attacks on Japanese shipping. Throughout the war, they not only sank military vessels, but also merchant marine ships carrying raw materials. In addition, the Gato subs performed important missions, like command raids and rescuing downed pilots. The Gatos were 311 feet long and carried a crew of eighty-five men.