Hi Ken,

Your reasoning is quite good. Many thanks. I am actually researching Italian submarine operations in WW2 and RIS GOFFREDO MAMELI was exercising with US ASW forces at Casco Bay when the presence of the U-boat was noted. To avoid a case of mistaken identity, her exercises were cancelled on 7-8 February while the search was on. I have been trying to identify every US vessel which participated in these exercises (a hopeless task! :-)). The Fold3 web site has been extremely useful.

By the way, USS KOINER (DE-331), credited with sinking U-869, was exercising with MAMELI on 06.02.1945 at Casco Bay. So we can assume the exercises were useful.

Examining the subsequent hunt for U-869, I notice that the war diaries of HOWARD D. CROW (DE-252) do not even record the event although she is the one reported to have detected the U-boat with her sonar. Anyone knows if she filed a separate report? Perhaps, since the attack was assumed at the time to be on a non sub contact, they did not bother to record it?

Happy New Year!

Platon