Nummer: 18314
| Area : | Western Area |
| Sea area : | South Atlantik |
| Date of attack : | 24.07.1944 |
| Time of attack : | 03:24 |
| Nationality of U-boat : | German |
| U-boat : | U 861 |
| Commander : | Oesten |
| Grid : | GA 6843 |
| presumed target type : | Steam Freighter |
| presumed tonnage : | 7000 BRT |
| presumed result : | sunk |
| Used weapon(s) : | Torpedo(es) |
| Convoy : | JT.39 |
| Date of observation : | 23.07.1944 |
| Time of observation : | 22:30 |
| Nationality of target : | American |
| Actual type of target : | Steam Freighter |
| Name of target : | William Gaston |
| Year of launch : | 1942 |
| Actual tonnage : | 7177 BRT |
| Actual result : | sunk |
| Position of target : | 26.42s 46.12w |
| Footnote : | U-861 sank the Brazilian freighter "Vital de Oliveira" on Jul.20th and missed the escorting sub-chaser "Javari". On Jul.24th she sank "William Gaston", and escaped from an attack of Task Group 41.6. |
| Convoy : | JT.39 |
| Route of convoy : | Rio de Janeiro - Trinidad |
| Remark to convoy : | Since Jul 1943, former BT (counter traffic = TJ) |