USS Gato (SS-212) was the lead ship of the Gato class submarines in the United States Navy. She was the first ship named after the gato, a species of small catshark found in waters along the west coast of Mexico. Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut on October 5, 1940. She was launched on August 21, 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Royal E. Ingersoll, and commissioned on December 31, 1941.

After shakedown, Gato departed for Pearl Harbor on February 16, 1942 via the Panama Canal and San Francisco. During her first war patrol from the harbor, she unsuccessfully attacked a converted aircraft carrier on May 3 before being driven away by the depth charging of four destroyers off the Marshall Islands. On May 24, she was ordered to patrol the western approaches to Midway, taking station 280 miles westward during the Battle of Midway.

During her fourth war patrol from January 13 to February 26, 1943, Gato torpedoed and sank transport Kenkon Maru on January 21, cargo ship Nichiun Maru on January 29, and cargo ship Suruya Maru on February 15, all off New Georgia, Solomon Islands. On her fifth war patrol, she landed an Australian Intelligence party at Toep, Bougainville on March 29, 1943, and evacuated 39 children and adults, transferring them to SC-531 off Ramos, Florida Island.

Gato's seventh war patrol took her north of the Bismarck Archipelago. On November 30, 1943, she made a coordinated attack with USS Ray and sank the cargo ship Columbia Maru. She attacked a convoy in the Saipan-Massau traffic lanes on December 20, sinking cargo ship Tsuneshima Maru and scoring damaging hits on another freighter. During her thirteenth war patrol, she was present at Tokyo Bay for the signing of surrender documents on board USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. Gato was decommissioned on March 16, 1946 and served as a naval reserve training ship for a number of years before being sold for scrapping on July 25, 1960.

At Maritime Modelworks, we bring ordinary wood models to life. Each museum quality USS Gato ship model is created step-by-step meticulously. No machines are involved in the process; everything is made by hand. Skilled craftsmen chip away at a piece of mahogany until a ship appears, which is then sanded and puttied. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts are also added. Gifted artists paint on the colors and all details, no matter how big or small. Afterwards, clear lacquer is applied for protection. Each model ship is complemented with a handsome display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate. Products are always double-checked before being delivered to customers in professionally-packaged double-lined boxes with high density foam.