"keith" continued to operate with the hunter-killer group patrolling the waters of the atlantic, escorting convoys from "mid-ocean point" to ports in brazil, bermuda, newfoundland, cuba, and the united states. on 23 april 1945, the hunter-killer group, operating as a combined force against a large wolfpack of u-boats, spotted a partially submerged submarine but could not locate it after it dived. while searching the next day, , a destroyer escort in company, was torpedoed and sunk. "keith" and a task group ships headed to the position where the "frederick c. davis" had gone down and launched a depth charge attack that lasted some 12 hours before was forced to surface. the destroyer escorts opened fire on the submarine; and "keith" made two direct hits before the u-boat sank. after the engagement, "keith" rescued four survivors from the submarine.