Dorado Loss Scenario: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Dorado and GAT 92 12 Oct 43 edited.jpg|left|thumb|400px|<small>Graphic ©Thaddeus Weaver, 2025</small>]] | [[File:Dorado and GAT 92 12 Oct 43 edited.jpg|left|thumb|400px|<small>Graphic ©Thaddeus Weaver, 2025</small>]] | ||
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">By the late afternoon on October 12, Dorado had company on her transit across the Caribbean Sea. Allied convoy GAT 92 was enroute from | <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">By the late afternoon on October 12, Dorado had company on her transit across the Caribbean Sea. Allied convoy GAT 92 was enroute from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Trinidad with nine ships and was in the central Caribbean north of Dorado's position. The convoy originally consisted of 32 ships when it first departed New York, but some ships stayed in Guantanmo. Escorted by two Dutch and three U.S. patrol craft, the convoy was on a southeasterly course of 143° true. They were set to cross Dorado's path some time that evening. The convoy commander had been fully briefed on Dorado's transit, and likewise Schneider and his crew knew of the convoy and their intentions. In addition to the five surface craft, the convoy fell under the protective umbrella of U.S. Navy patrol squadron VP-210 based at Guantanamo. The squadron consisted of 12 [[Dorado Martin PBM Mariner aircraft|'''Martin PBM-3S Mariner''']] flying boat patrol aircraft. On the evening of October 12th, one of these Mariners was flying cover over the convoy. This aircraft carried the call sign 210-P-9. | ||
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Revision as of 20:20, 29 June 2025

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Introduction
What we present below is the scenario as we understand it at this time, and it admittedly is not the only possibility. Subsequent research and/or actually finding the wreck site has the potential to radically alter the story. Thank you for your interest. If you have questions or comments, please direct them to ussdoradoproject@gmail.com.
The Departure

She passed under the U.S. Route 1 bridge, with the venerable structure lifted open to allow the boat to pass underneath. She passed the main Electric Boat facility on her port beam, and a little further downstream she passed the Victory Yard where she was built. Men and women toiling in the cool October air on Dorado's sister subs paused for a moment, proudly acknowledging their handiwork as the submarine passed. They wished her luck as she headed off to war.
The crew was experiencing a mixed set of emotions. They had come to enjoy their stay in Connecticut and had a deep appreciation for the hard work put forth on their behalf by the Electric Boat personnel. Friendships had developed with the workers that the men valued. Some of the crew had brought family members to the Groton/New London area and they were now leaving that all behind; a touch of sadness prevailed as they sailed down the Thames River. There was also a palpable sense of anxiety as they pushed the bow of the boat into the unknown. The experienced men knew of the combat that laid ahead, the inexperienced men put on a brave face as they tamped down their fears. All of that was tempered by the excitement of finally moving forward. They were well trained and confident in themselves and their shipmates, and despite lingering anxiety they eagerly anticipated the adventure that laid ahead.
Fishing vessels hailed her as she passed the mouth of the Thames and Schneider rang up an ahead standard bell with turns for 14 knots. The bridge watch team kept a wary eye on the Fisher's Island and Montauk ferries as they passed, with a little maneuvering left and right intended to keep the ferries at a safe distance. Clearing Fisher's Island she made a slight turn to the southeast, putting her on course to pass down the middle between Montauk Point on her starboard side and Block Island on her port. Down below in the control room the Quartermasters and the Navigator were busy piloting the submarine, shooting bearings with the periscope to land-based navigation aids, using those bearings to triangulate their position on the chart. With Montauk Point on their starboard quarter, they took their "point of departure", i.e. the last confirmed land-based navigational fix, and headed out into the blue Atlantic.

The Voyage

The final waypoint was Point George, 15 nautical miles (NM) north of the Cristobal Breakwater, a structure that defined the harbor for Cristobal and Colon. At George the Dorado was to rendezvous with a U.S. destroyer, who would escort Dorado on the surface the last few miles to the submarine base. This rendezvous was supposed to happen at 1300 local (1:00 pm) on the afternoon of October 14. This date/time is very important for several reasons:
- Being escorted into the harbor by the destroyer would prevent Dorado from being mistaken for a German submarine (known to be operating in the Caribbean) and being fired upon by friendly forces. Being early or late for the rendezvous was frowned upon, as it would cause serious tactical, operational, and logistical problems that the Navy wanted to avoid.
- Traffic through the canal was was very high, and specific times were assigned to ships for passage so that the possibility of traffic jams was avoided. If Dorado missed her transit time, it would delay her voyage all the way to Pearl Harbor and the war zone and exacerbate the operational and logistical issues previously mentioned.
- The date/time of her arrival at Point George also dictated the speed of her transit, known properly as her "speed of advance" (SOA). To make Point George on time her SOA was 14 knots. This was also a fuel efficient speed and was well within her maximum surface speed of 21 knots. However, it also dictated that Dorado make the transit mostly on the surface, as her maximum submerged speed was only eight knots. LCDR Schneider had the discretion to submerge as he saw fit for drills and training, but he had to maintain the average speed of 14 knots in order to make George on time.
Dorado would also make the voyage under a condition known as "radio silence". This was a procedure in which Dorado was not to use her radio for routine transmissions, out of a concern that German submarines in the area might use those transmissions to triangulate her position. The crew could receive broadcasts, and Schneider had the latitude to report serious circumstances if he felt it was warranted, but things like routinely reporting her position and administrative message traffic was not allowed.




The zone was big enough to allow the zig-zag course to be conducted, and for periodic dives for training and drills. However, it was incumbent upon the crew of Dorado to ensure they stayed within the zone at all times. Allied surface and aerial forces were understandably a bit on edge due to the threat of German submarines, and this zone was intended to eliminate the "friendly" threat to U.S. submarines transiting to Panama.

Prelude: October 11 and 12, 1943
Around mid-day on October 11, the boat was approaching Point Dog, and they raised Cape Engano on the eastern tip of the island of Hispaniola right on time. They proceeded apace through the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, passing through Point Easy and out into the Caribbean. Dorado's base course between Points Easy and Fox was 243° true, or southwesterly, with the zig-zag plan having Dorado jinking left and right of that course.




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