While Waiting...

[Stormfly]

Originally Posted by Méo

If you check at the end of the clip you will see that the crew is giving bread to survivors.

The narrator says: ''What about survivors, we give them bread, a compass and wish them good luck''

So that differs a lot from Hollywood vision (particularly in the movie U-571) who almost describe u-boat crew as ''Evildoers''.

The "Waas-Report" is saying:

In a secret conference at Hitlers "Reichskanzlei" autumn 42 with Dönitz, Raeder and Waas, the Laconia occurrence was reviewed...

Hitler than dictated a direct order:
"Ships and crews are to exterminate, also crews in liveboats"

Keitel than grab his black pocket book and noted that order. After a gerneral silence,

Dönits stand up to enter a military posture and sayed:
"No my leader, It is violating a seaman´s honour fireing on helples shipwracked man. I cant give such a order. My u-boat man as volunteers, are fighting with heavy casualities with awareness to fight proper for a good thing. Such a order would undermine theier fighting morality. I request to cancel this order"

Hitler than sayed in his vienna dialect:
"Do what you want to do, but no more help or sailing instructions"

Keitel than grabed his black pocket book again and crossed out his last notes.

In this episode, no one except Hitler and Dönits talked.

Source: Jochen Brennecke, "Jäger-Gejagte" Deutsche U-Boote 1939-1945, ISBN 3-548-25214-1