Following the T-class submarines the US Navy first
produced the GATO class in 1940. The next few years saw a total of
73 boats (SS212 - SS284) being commissioned.
The GATO class, together with later-designed
Balao and Tench submarines, were the main-stay of the American submarine
force until nuclear was introduced.
These boats were fast and strongly built. With a
large fuel capacity they did not require supply boats and so were ideally
suited to undertake long Pacific patrols unaided.
This painting shows a GATO submarine surfacing at
a steep angle, some distance off a Pacific island.
|
|
Each print
is hand-signed by the artist
|
