According to the notoriously unreliable JANAC accounting,[7][page needed] Bluefish sank 12 Japanese ships totaling 50,839 tons.

Bluefish was laid down 5 June 1942 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. She was launched 21 February 1943 (sponsored by Mrs. Robert Y. Menzie), and commissioned 24 May 1943.

[9] On 25 September Bluefish torpedoed the Japanese merchantman Akashi Maru (3228 GRT) south-east of Celebes, Netherlands East Indies, in the Flores Sea.

On 18 November Bluefish torpedoed and sank the old escorting destroyer IJN Sanae and damaged the Japanese fleet oiler Ondo (14050 GRT) in the Celebes Sea about 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) south of Basilan Island.

After laying mines off the eastern Malayan coast on 3 January 1944, Bluefish attacked a Japanese convoy off Indo-China together with Rasher.

[11] on 4 March Bluefish torpedoed and sank the Japanese oiler Ominesan Maru (10536 GRT) in the South China Sea about 300 nmi (560 km; 350 mi) west of Miri, Sarawak.

[16] On 15 July, she sank the Japanese submarine I-351 (2650 tons) in the South China Sea about 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) east-north-east of Natuna Besar off Borneo.