The Gato class was the standard design for American submarines at the beginning of World War II. Rushed into production in 1940, the Gato class submarines were fast, strong, well armed, and suited to the long range patrols necessary to fight in the Pacific. There were 73 submarines in all, and they sank more than 1,700,000 tons of Japanese shipping.

The Gato class served mainly in the Pacific ocean, with operations in the Carribean and the Atlantic for short periods of time, such as Operation Torch in North Africa in 1942. Gato class submarines Flasher, Rasher and Barb obtained the first three places in the league table of confirmed sinkings by US submarines in World War II.

At the end of the conflict, the Gato class was moved into the training roles, and some submarines were converted into radar picket boats. Others saw action with the US 7th Fleet off Vietnam in 1966. The last active submarine was Rock, which was decommissioned in September 1969 and sank as a target. There are several Gatos on display in the United States, such as Cavalla at Seawolf Park, Cobia at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, and Drum at Battleship Memorial Park.

Bring any empty space to life with the Gato class submarine wooden ship model. From planning to packaging, each step is performed with utmost care; everything is done by hand. Master craftsmen become magicians as they turn simple pieces of mahogany into ship replicas. After the wood is sanded and puttied, talented artists duplicate every single detail with extraordinary accuracy. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts complete the ship. A final coat of clear lacquer provides lasting protection for the product. Each model ship comes on a display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate, and undergoes various stages of quality control. A double-lined box with high density foam ensures the safe arrival of each item.