The U.S. submarine Hake (SS-256), built by Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut, was launched on 17 July 1942 and commissioned on 30 October 1942 with Lieutenant Commander J.C. Broach in command.
Following commissioning and a shakedown cruise, the Hake took part in two war patrols in the North Atlantic in early 1943. The Hake then was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet, and departed Pearl Harbor for her third war patrol on 27 December 1943, The Hake sunk a transport vessel headed for Japan on 12 January 1944, and on 26 January, attacked another tanker, but suffered considerable damage as a result of subsequent depth charge attacks. On 1 February, the Hake discovered a five-ship convoy which included two escorts. The Hake sunk two of three targets, and escaped unscathed in the confusion.
The Hake sunk an unescorted tanker in the South China Sea, on 27 March 1944, and damaged several more ships on 1 April, before ending her fourth war patrol.
During the Hake's fifth war patrol, while acting as a picket to warn Allied forces of the approach of any enemy ships, on 8 June the Hake detected and sunk a Japanese destroyer. On 17 and 20 June, the Hake sunk an enemy cargo ship and a fully loaded troop transport respectively.
During its sixth war patrol, the Hake damaged a destroyer.
For the Hake's seventh war patrol, she was assigned to work with the submarines Hardhead (SS-365) and the ill-fated Growler (SS-215), which was lost on the patrol. On 7-8 November 1944, the Hake was badly damaged while spending 16 hours attempting to avoid destruction by enemy forces, during which time the crew counted more than 100 depth charge explosions near its position. Following this harrowing action, the Hake rendezvoused with Filipino guerrillas off Panay Island in order to bring on board 29 downed American aviators. The Hake returned to Australia on 16 December 1945.
After searching unsuccessfully for enemy shipping for nearly a month on her eighth war patrol, which began on 12 January 1945, the Hake departed for San Francisco and, following an overhaul, returned to action on her ninth war patrol. The Hake served as lifeguard ship for air strikes against Japan and following the Japanese surrender she sailed for New London, Connecticut, and was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 13 July 1946. The Hake was taken out of reserve on 15 October 1956 and served as a reserve training ship for the 4th Naval District at Philadelphia.
Redesignated AGSS-256 in 1962, the Hake was struck from the Navy list on 1 March 1967.