Darter was a Gato-class submarine, SS-227. Electric Boat at Groton laid her down on 20 October 1942, launched her on 6 June 1943, and the Navy commissioned her on 7 September 1943. William Shirley Stovall, Jr. had her. David Hayward McClintock relieved him on 15 June 1944.
On the third patrol, on 29 June 1944, she sank the minelayer Tsugaru off the northern tip of Halmahera. She came back to Brisbane on 8 August.
On 1 September she left Brisbane for her fourth patrol. On the morning of 23 October she and Dace were in Palawan Passage, on the route Vice Admiral Kurita's Center Force was taking toward Leyte. Before dawn Darter sank Atago, the flagship, and torpedoed Takao. Takao was not sunk. Dace sank Maya. During the day Darter tried another attack on the stopped Takao and was driven off.
After dark Takao got underway. Darter started a surface attack, then an end around, and meant to come in at radar depth. At 0005 on 24 October she grounded on Bombay Shoal at 17 knots and rode up until she drew nine feet forward. She could not get off. Dace closed her. The confidential papers were burned, and Dace took off every man before dawn. No one was lost.
The demolition charges failed. Dace fired the torpedoes she had left, and they exploded on the shoal before they reached the hull. She put 21 four-inch hits into Darter. The submarine Rock fired ten torpedoes at the wreck, and those also exploded on the shoal. On 31 October Nautilus, on her thirteenth patrol, put 55 six-inch hits into the hull. The wreck is not credited to one ship. Darter received a Navy Unit Commendation and four battle stars.