United States Navy — Submarine

USS Dorado (SS-248) — service history

This is the full service history. For the vessel's particulars, photograph and specifications, see the entry.

In the words of the US Navy. The account below is reproduced verbatim from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command — a work of the United States Government, in the public domain, and the only text on this site not written here.

Contents

Before commissioning
Second World War 1939–1945
1942 1
1943 4
1944 1
References 4

Periods, years and the actions beside them are read out of the text — the source is one continuous narrative with no divisions of its own. A period is the calendar, not a claim: a vessel with a 1951 section was not necessarily off Korea.

Before commissioning

A dolphin fish of the genus Coryphaena , abundant in the Mediterranean and in many parts of the Atlantic, less numerous on the American coast.

Second World War 1939–1945

1942

Dorado (SS-248) was laid down on 27 August 1942 at Groton, Conn., by the Electric Boat Co.; launched on 23 May 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs. Ezra G. Allen, wife of Rear Adm. Ezra G. Allen, Budget Officer of the Navy Department; and commissioned on 28 August 1943, Lt. Cmdr. Earle C. Schneider in command.

1943

USS Dorado (SS-248) — Artists Thomas Hart Benton and Georges Schreiber on the deck of the USS Dorado, summer 1943 US Navy — Thomas Hart Benton Home — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Dorado sailed from New London, Conn., on 6 October 1943, for the Canal Zone but never reached her destination. Two days after Dorado 's departure, on 8 October 1943, the German submarine U-214 ( Oberleutnant zur See Rupprecht Stock, commanding), on her tenth war patrol (the second under Stock) lay a field of 15 mines off Colon, Panama Canal Zone.

On 12 October 1943, a Martin PBM-3C Mariner from Patrol Squadron (VP) 210, Lt. (j.g.) Daniel T. Felix, Jr., patrol plane commander, flying from Guantanamo Bay and covering Convoy GAT-92, spotted U-214 and attacked at 2051, dropping three depth charges and one bomb. Felix and his crew observed no explosions, however, and saw neither debris nor oil that would have indicated destruction of the submarine. During the same patrol, Felix again sighted U-214 at 2233, not far from the scene of the first attack. Aware of the presence of a U.S. submarine in the vicinity, Felix tried to exchange recognition signals but the U-boat immediately opened fire and drove off the Mariner before it could attack again.

Given the fact that the Mariner crew spotted no evidence of a successful attack, it is most likely that Dorado fouled one of the mines laid by U-214 en route to Colon on 14 October. The mine field was detected on 16 October and ten mines swept.

Listed as overdue, presumed lost, on 24 October 1943, Dorado was lost with all hands, 77 souls all told, was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 October 1943.

1944

Dorado was the name assigned to SS-526 which was to be built at the Boston (Mass.) Navy Yard, but the boat was canceled on 29 July 1944 during construction.

References

Every work this entry draws on. There are no numbered markers in the text above: what we hold is the provenance of the page — this history, this article, these photographs.

History Dorado (SS-248) Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval History and Heritage Command. A work of the United States Government, in the public domain — the only text on this site reproduced verbatim.
Facts USS Dorado (SS-248) Structured facts only — dates, dimensions, armament and fate. No wording is taken from it. Harvested 1 August 2026.
Photograph USS Dorado (SS-248) Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons
Photograph Benton & Schreiber on Dorado US Navy — Thomas Hart Benton Home — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons