Commonly referred to as "V boats", the Argonaut and Narwhal classes were specifically developed to resolve the need for a reliable fleet boat. Unfortunately, bigger is not always better. These submarines were extremely large by standards of the day (about three times the size of an S boat), slow on the surface, slow on the dive and difficult to maneuver. Poorly designed diesel engines were unable to deliver the horsepower which would allow these large vessels to maintain an adequate speed which the Navy required of a fleet boat, and were replaced in 1940.

The USS Argonaut, the lone member and the namesake of its class was the direct descendant of the Barracuda Class, developed principally to serve in the Pacific as a long range mine layer. The Narwhal and Nautilus were submarine cruisers, large enough to accommodate two 6" guns and capable of higher surface speeds then the older S - Class. They were derived from the Argonaut's mine laying design. In practice, the greater size needed to accommodate the second deck gun made these submarines easier to detect and did not make up for poor handling characteristics.  

Although never actually used during the war in the capacity for which they were designed, these subs were employed primarily to deliver supplies to guerillas, and to transport commandos and coast watchers. Between the Narwhal and Nautilus, they managed to sink eleven Japanese ships (34,978 tons) including the destroyer Yamakaze.