АҚШ Әскери-теңіз күштерінің "Gato" кластык суасты қайығы

United States Navy Gato class submarine

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On her way to her second war patrol north of Western New Guinea and south of Davao, Darter topped off fuel at Milne Bay on 21–22 March 1944. On 30 March, she sank a ship, then patrolled off New Guinea during Allied landings on its coast. She put into Darwin to refuel on 29–30 April, then returned to her patrol area until 23 May, when she arrived at Manus Island.

Refitted, she put out for action waters once more on 21 June on her third war patrol off Halmahera and Mindanao. She sank the IJN minelayer Japanese minelayer Tsugaru off Morotai on 29 June 1944, and again endured a heavy depth charge barrage as a result of her attack.

Returning to Brisbane on 8 August 1944, Darter cleared on her fourth and last war patrol. She searched the Celebes Sea and South China Sea, returned to Darwin to fuel and make minor repairs on 10 September, and put back to the Celebes Sea. She pulled into Mios Woendi on 27 September for additional fuel, and sailed on 1 October with Dace to patrol the South China Sea in coordination with the forthcoming invasion of Leyte. She attacked a tanker convoy on 12 October, and on 21 October headed with Dace for Balabac Strait to watch for Japanese shipping moving to reinforce the Philippines or attack the landing forces. In an outstanding performance of duty, which was to award both submarines the Navy Unit Commendation and Darters commanding officer, David Hayward McClintock, the Navy Cross, Darter and Dace made contact with the Japanese Center Force approaching Palawan Passage on 23 October. Immediately, Darter flashed the contact report, one of the most important of the war, since the location of this Japanese task force had been unknown for some days. The two submarines closed the task force, and with attacks on the cruisers of Center Force, initiated the attacks in the Palawan Passage, the first action of the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf. Darter sank the heavy cruiser Japanese cruiser Atago and seriously damaged the cruiser Japanese cruiser Takao. With Dace, she tracked the damaged cruiser through the tortuous channels of Palawan Passage until just after midnight of 24–25 October when Darter grounded on Bombay Shoal
As efforts to get the submarine off the shoal began, the Japanese destroyer Naganami closed, unsuccessfully tried to tow her off the reef or to destroy her, but then sailed on. With the tide receding, all Daces and Darters efforts to get her off failed. All confidential papers and equipment were destroyed, and the entire crew taken off to Dace. When the demolition charges planted in Darter failed to destroy her, Dace fired torpedoes which exploded on the reef due to the shallow water. Dace did, however, score 21 hits with her gun. Rock was called in and fired 10 torpedoes at Darter with similar lack of success. Finally, Nautilus arrived on 31 October and scored 55 hits with her guns. Her report states, "It is doubtful that any equipment in DARTER at 1130 this date would be of any value to Japan – except as scrap. Estimated draft of DARTER – 4 feet." With the scuttling occurring late in the war, the Japanese made no further efforts to recover the wreck, and her hulk remained remarkably intact as late as 1962. Dace reached Fremantle safely with Darters men on 6 November. In order to retain their high esprit de corps, the entire Darter crew was ordered to take over Menhaden, then being built at Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

In January 1952 a salvage party from the US Navy arrived at the wreck to dispose of the six torpedoes left on board in the forward torpedo room. Charges were placed around the torpedoes, and the resulting detonation blew off the entire bow. As of 1998 her badly deteriorated remains protrude above the surface on the reef.

In addition to the Navy Unit Commendation, Darter received four battle stars earned during her four war patrols, the last three of which were designated as "successful". She is credited with having sunk a total of 19429 tons of Japanese shipping.