Dönitz issued orders
NOT to pick up survivors after the Laconia incident on September 12 1942.
The
Laconia incident was an incident during
WWII in September 1942 when RMS Laconia, carrying some 80 Civillians and 268 UK Soldiers, and about 1,800 Italian POW's with 160 Polish soldiers on guard, was struck by a torpedo from a U-Boat off the coast of West Africa and sank. The U-boat commander, Kapitänleutnant Werner Hartenstien, realized the error and commenced Rescue operations, joined by other U-boats. Heading to rendezvous with Vichy French ships under Red Cross banners, the U-boats were attacked by a US B-24. The event profoundly affected the operations of the German fleet, which abandoned the practice of attempting rescue of civilian survivors under the
Laconia order of Karl Donitz.
U-156 remained on the surface at the scene for the next two and a half days. At 11:30am on September 15, she was joined by U-506 commanded by Kptlt. Erich Würdemann and a few hours later by both U-507 under
Korvettenkapitän Harro Schacht and the Italian Sub Cappenilli. The four submarines with lifeboats in tow and hundreds of survivors standing on the hulls headed towards the African coastline and a rendezvous with Vichy French surface warships which had set out from Sengal and Dahomy
The next morning, September 16, at 11:25am, the four submarines, with Red Cross flags draped across their gun decks, were spotted by an American B-24 bomber from Ascension Island. Hartenstein signalled to the pilot requesting assistance. Lieutenant James D. Harden of the US airforce turned away and notified his base of the situation. The senior officer on duty that day, Captain Robert C. Richardson III, replied with the order "Sink sub." Harden flew back to the scene of the rescue effort and at 12:32pm attacked with bombs and depth charges. One landed among the lifeboats in tow behind U-156 while others straddled the submarine itself. Hartenstein cast adrift those lifeboats still afloat and ordered the survivors on his deck into the water. The submarines dived and escaped. Many hundreds of the
Laconia survivors perished, but French vessels managed to re-rescue about a thousand later that day. In all, some 1,500 passengers survived. An English seaman, Tony Large, endured forty days adrift in an open life boat before he was finally picked up.
The
Laconia incident had far-reaching consequences. Until then, as indicated in point #1 of the "Laconia order" (below), it was common for U-boats to assist torpedoed survivors with food, water and directions to the nearest land. Now that it was apparent that the Americans would attack rescue missions under the Red Cross flag, Dönitz ordered that rescues were prohibited; survivors were to be left in the sea.
Laconia-Befehl (Laconia Order)- Jegliche Rettungsversuche von Angehörigen versenkter Schiffe, also auch das Auffischen Schwimmender und Anbordgabe auf Rettungsboote, Aufrichten gekenterter Rettungsboote, Abgabe von Nahrungsmitteln und Wasser haben zu unterbleiben. Rettung widerspricht den primitivsten Forderungen der Kriegsführung nach Vernichtung feindlicher Schiffe und deren Besatzungen.
- Die Befehle über das Mitbringen von Kapitänen und Chefingenieuren bleiben bestehen.
- Schiffbrüchige nur dann retten, wenn ihre Aussagen für das Boot von Wichtigkeit sind.
- Bleibt hart. Denkt daran, daß der Gegner bei seinen Bombenangriffen auf deutsche Städte keine Rücksicht auf Frauen und Kinder nimmt.
- All efforts to save survivors of sunken ships, such as the fishing out of swimming men and putting them on board lifeboats, the righting of overturned lifeboats, or the handing over of food and water, must stop. Rescue contradicts the most basic demands of the war: the destruction of hostile ships and their crews.
- The orders concerning the bringing-in of skippers and chief engineers stay in effect.
- Survivors are to be saved only if their statements are important for the boat.
- Stay firm. Remember that the enemy has no regard for women and children when bombing German cities!
And don't get me started on U-571 