World War II Honoree

Louis James Abruzzio

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Rome, New York

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.

FIREMAN SECOND CLASS KILLED WITH ALL HANDS ONBOARD USS DORADO (SS 248) ON 12 OCTOBER 1943 IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC POSSIBLY NEAR CUBA. DORADO, A NEWLY COMMISSIONED SUBMARINE, UNDER LIEUTENANT COMMANDER E. C. SCHNEIDER, SAILED FROM NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT ON OCTOBER 6 1943 FOR PANAMA. SHE DID NOT ARRIVE AT PANAMA NOR WAS SHE HEARD FROM AT ANY TIME AFTER SAILING. AIR SEARCHES WERE BEGUN IMMEDIATELY AFTER HER SCHEDULED DATE OF ARRIVAL 14 OCTOBER. WIDELY SCATTERED OIL SLICKS WITH OCCASIONAL DEBRIS WERE FOUND AND LATER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A PATROL PLANE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY DELIVERED A SURPRISE ATTACK OF THREE DEPTH CHARGES ON AN UNIDENTIFIED SUBMARINE AT 8:49 PM, LOCAL TIME ON 12 OCTOBER AND WAS LATER FIRED UPON BY ANOTHER UNIDENTIFIED SUBMARINE. A GERMAN SUBMARINE WAS KNOWN TO BE OPERATING NEAR THE SCENE OF THESE TWO CONTACTS. BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF EVIDENCE, THE COURT OF INQUIRY WAS UNABLE TO REACH DEFINITE CONCLUSIONS AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF DORADO. USS DORADO (SS 248) WAS LOST WITH 77 OFFICERS AND MEN.