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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Dorado

Ship Designation: 
SS-248
Date Lost: 
Tuesday, October 12, 1943
Lost at Sea
After completing her outfitting and commissioning trials, Dorado departed New London on 6 October 1943 for Panama. Dorado, with her crew of 76 men, was never heard from again. A Court of Inquiry convened to determine the cause of her loss was unable to reach a definite conclusion. It cited three possibilities - operating casualty, enemy action, or attack by friendly forces, with the latter having the highest probability due to the following circumstances. As was common with all unescorted wartime submarine movements, COMSUBLANT had advised all Atlantic ASW forces of her projected track, and the coordinates of a “moving haven” based on her PIM (Position of Intended Movement). No attacks on any submarine within fifteen miles either side of the PIM, or fifty miles ahead and one hundred miles astern were allowed. Unfortunately, a patrol plane operating out of NOB Guantanamo received faulty information on Dorado's track and, at 8:49 PM on 12 October 1943, delivered a surprise attack with three depth charges on an unidentified submarine. The attack occurred within the moving haven. The Court noted that the plane sighted another submarine about two hours later and attempted to exchange recognition signals. This submarine fired on the plane. A German submarine was known to be operating near the scene of the two contacts. Total casualty list of 76 based on data in ComSubPac archives.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 77

Namesort descending Service Branch
F 3c Louis Abruzzio USN
TM 2c Theodore Addy USN
RM 3c Virgil Albright USN
Sea 2c Thomas Alloway USN
GM 1c Paul Aman USN
TM 3c Bruce Anthony USN
Sea 2c William Austin USN
Ens August Ballman USN
SM 1c Richard Becker USN
LCdr John Boyd USN
TM 1c Fred Brubeck USN
Sea 2c James Burnett USN
BM 1c David Burrell USN
Std 1c Isaac Cabase USN
CTM Leonard Chandler USN
MOMM 2c Laverne Cilley USN
Sea 1c John Coelho USN
MOMM 2c Thomas Cosaftes USN
TM 1c Dominick Cristello USN
CMOMM Donald Davenport USN

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Prepared by: J.P. O’Hara, CDR, USN (Ret.)