U.S.S. Dorado (SS-248)

Date of Loss: Sometime after 6 October, 1943

Returned to Service: No

The Gato-class submarine U.S.S. Dorado (SS-248) was built at the Electric Boat Company yard in Groton, CT. Her keel was laid on 27 August, 1942. She was christened on 23 May, 1943. Dorado was commissioned on 28 August, 1943. Dorado departed the submarine base at New London, CT on 6 October, 1943, bound for the Panama Canal.

She was never heard from again.

Most sources list the Dorado as having been sunk on 12 October, 1943 by a Mariner (PBM-3S) ASW Aircraft operating out of U.S. Naval Air Station Guantanamo, Cuba. However, recent research has proven this assumption to be false.

While on ASW patrol, a patrol aircraft, Mariner P-9, DID make two separate attacks on surfaced submarines on the night of 12 October, in the vicinity of where Dorado should have been that night.

However, both attacks were unsuccessful. The first, at approximately 2051 was almost certainly on a Type IX-C German U-Boat, probably the U-518, which was operating in the area. There are several points to consider:

The crew of Mariner P-9 knew that Dorado was supposed to be in the area, and was therefore prepared to carefully inspect any submarine prior to attacking it. (They had been given an incorrect position for Dorado, but the difference was only 11 miles).
The surfaced submarine was observed for 12 minutes prior to the attack, under good visibility and moderate seas by the four crewmen on Mariner P-9. They observed the following:

The submarine was 48 miles from Dorado's reported position. (And still 34 miles from where she actually would have been that night.)
The submarine was on a course almost 90 degrees from Dorado's base course.
The submarine had no guns on the fore deck - Dorado would have had a 5" gun there.
The submarine had a grooved deck - Dorado's deck was only grooved near the conning tower.
Most Importantly - The submarine had a "knob-like" object on the front of the conning tower. This object was a "Biscay Cross" German Radar Detector installed on Type IX-C U-Boats like the U-518. Obviously, this kind of antenna would NOT have been installed on Dorado.

Furthermore, the attack at 2051 was completely unsuccessful! Three depth charges and one 100 pound bomb were dropped. One depth charge was a confirmed dud, a second was dropped too low to arm. Neither the remaining depth charge, nor the bomb were seen to explode! Mariner P-9 remained in the area for 20 minutes and observed no explosions, no bubbles, and no debris. Therefore, it can be conclusively said that the 2051 attack did not sink Dorado.

A second submarine was detected at 2233, in almost the exact same position as the 2051 attack. Mariner P-9 also engaged this contact. At 2240, Mariner P-9 attempted to exchange recognition signals with a surfaced submarine. The submarine opened fire on Mariner P-9 with a 20mm AA gun. Mariner P-9 took evasive action, and lost contact with this submarine. No ordnance was dropped by Mariner P-9 during this section action.

(This second action involved U-214, a Type VII-D minelayer. U-214 recorded this incident in her war diary.)

Therefore, it can be shown that Dorado was definitely not sunk by U.S. forces on 12 October, 1943.

While her fate may never be known with certainty, it would appear that Dorado was lost due to one of the three following reasons:

She suffered some kind of mechanical or operational failure during her transit down the east coast.
Dorado might have been run down by a merchant ship.
She might have hit a mine.
It is also possible that Dorado was sunk by a U-Boat that was, herself, sunk before returning to Germany to report the incident.

Hopefully, further research will discover or uncover the truth about Dorado's loss. Or, perhaps her final resting place will be found.

(Magneson & Rock, The Truth About Dorado's Loss, USCS LOG, June, 1997, pp 13-15)