Why did germany use "prize regulations"?

[avers]

Originally Posted by Von Tonner

"Rescue no one and take no one with you. Have no care for the ship's boats. Weather conditions and the proximity of land are of no account. Care only for your own boat and strive to achieve the next success as soon as possible! We must be hard in this war. The enemy started the war in order to destroy us, therefore nothing else matters" "

I think this message was sent in 1942 when a u boat (I forgot which one) sank an American ship down by Africa and the ship was carrying German and Italian POWs. After the ship sank, the u boat started towing the life boats to safety. When morning came 2 B-24 liberators flew out and spotted the u boat with the Red Cross flying, the liberators got permission to attack and nearly sank the boat. I think after this incident, Donitz sent that message.

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by avers

I think this message was sent in 1942 when a u boat (I forgot which one) sank an American ship down by Africa and the ship was carrying German and Italian POWs. After the ship sank, the u boat started towing the life boats to safety. When morning came 2 B-24 liberators flew out and spotted the u boat with the Red Cross flying, the liberators got permission to attack and nearly sank the boat. I think after this incident, Donitz sent that message.

I have read accounts of incidents such as you describe, going back to the early days of the war. Early on, they were apparently not that uncommon. At his Nuremburg trial , Dönitz cited the frequency of such incidents as the reason behind the order Von Tonner quotes.

But an incident in 1942 could not have been the basis for the order. Blair in Chapter 2 (and endnotes) states that a copy of that order was found in U-13, which was captured by the British in May, 1940.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by avers

I think this message was sent in 1942 when a u boat (I forgot which one) sank an American ship down by Africa and the ship was carrying German and Italian POWs. After the ship sank, the u boat started towing the life boats to safety. When morning came 2 B-24 liberators flew out and spotted the u boat with the Red Cross flying, the liberators got permission to attack and nearly sank the boat. I think after this incident, Donitz sent that message.

Laconia incident

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconia_incident

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Laconia incident

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconia_incident

Hmmm. The Wikipedia article pretty clearly attributes the “Give no assistance” policy directly to the Laconia Incident. And it goes into some detail about how Doenitz embarassed the Allied prosecutors by pointing out that the policy was a response to bad behavior on the Allied side.

But Blair is also pretty clear in stating that the order, which he quotes verbatim from the Nuremburg record, came into Allied possession through the capture of U-13 in May 1940, two years before the Laconia Incident. Blair cites as Doenitz’s Nuremburg defense a claim that the order was a response to U-boat commanders’ excessive willingness to risk their boats to assist survivors.

I don’t see how these two sources can both be correct. Does anyone have additional information?

[avers]

In clay Blair's 1st u boat book, does it say what was the last restriction to be removed? If so please tell me what page or chapter.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

I don’t see how these two sources can both be correct. Does anyone have additional information?

Further down the Wiki article also makes reference to War Order No. 154, from December 1939, and links to this article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Order_No._154

That was likely the one recovered from U-13, and the Laconia order was probably an extension and reiteration of Order 154.

[avers]

let me change my question. What was the last restriction removed? If you guys can please tell me when the final restriction was removed.