World War II Honoree

Alvin Lewis Windfeldt

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.

Relationship

Shipmates

SHIP'S COOK FIRST CLASS, PETTY OFFICER. KILLED WITH ALL HANDS ONBOARD USS DORADO SS-248 ON OCTOBER 12, 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 OCTOBER 14TH. WIDELY SCATTERED OIL SLICKS WITH OCCASIONAL DEBRIS WERE FOUND. LATER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A PATROL PLANE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY DELIVERED A SURPRISE ATTACK OF 3 DEPTH CHARGES ON AN UNIDENTIFIED SUBMARINE AT 8:49 PM LOCAL TIME ON OCTOBER 12TH, AND WAS LATER FIRED UPON BY ANOTHER UNIDENTIFIED SUBMARINE. A GERMAN SUBMARINE WAS KNOWN TO BE OPERATING NEAR THE SCENE OF THESE 2 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.