A U.S. Navy Department report on their interrogation notes that it yielded intelligence on German submarine operations and Naval bases. According to the report, Colepaugh was "a somewhat unstable New Englander but impressed his interrogators as attempting to tell the truth. e is intelligent, very observant, and has an extraordinary visual memory for details. His attitude toward the interrogators was friendly and cooperative. He was always careful to distinguish between eye witness evidence and hearsay. The interrogators were under the impression that his helpfulness was inspired by the hope of escaping the death penalty".