S.S. Laconia 1942

The S.S. Laconia was sunk by a Uboat on 12th September 1942 off the West coast of Africa. Would anybody have details of its port of departure and destination?

Grateful for any information

Tony

 

The S.S. Laconia was sunk on the night of 12 Sept. 1942 by U-156. The ship was carrying Italian POW’s when she was sunk. The German sub radioed for assistance and began picking up survivors from the water. The Sub filled quickly and by the next day she had 400 men on her deck and in lifeboats nearby. U-506 and U-507 both arrived to help. On the 16th Sept. the subs, with Red Cross Flags across there decks were sighted by a B-24(?) who was ordered to attack the submarines. The U-boats were forced to dive, stranding the survivors. They came back, and minimal number of survivors were killed during the bombing. This was the incident that led to Dönitz issuing the controvetial “Laconia Order”.

I believe she had left from Cape Town South Africa and was headed for Freetown Sierra Leone

 

LACONIA (September 12, 1942)


British Cunard Line luxury liner (19,695 tons) converted to a transport ship, was torpedoed and sunk by the U-156, commanded by Kptlt. Werner Hartenstein. The ship was carrying over 1,800 Italian prisoners of war captured in North Africa and guarded by 160 Polish guards, former Russian prisoners of war. Also on board were 268 British military and civilian personnel including 80 women and children. About 500 POW's were killed instantly when the torpedoes hit the prison holds. Over 200 survivors were picked up by the U-156 helped by the U-506 and U-507 and then the U-boats in turn were attacked by an American four-engine Liberator of the USAF 343 Squadron from the US base on Ascension Island. Even though they displayed a large Red Cross flag, the plane dropped three depth charges. Altogether, including the crew, 2,732 persons were on board the Laconia when attacked. A total of 1,649 lives were lost including the captain, Rudolf Sharpe (ex-Lancastria). Vichy naval craft picked up 1,083 survivors. This incident caused the German Naval Authorities to issue the 'Laconia Order' by which all U-boat captains were forbidden to pick up survivors. At the Nuremberg Trials, Grand Admiral Doenitz was accused of a war crime by signing the order, but was acquitted on that charge only to spend 11 years and 6 months in prison for other war crimes.

 

Clay Blair in his "Hitler's U-Boat War Vol 2. - The Hunted" - page 57-62 states that Laconia was North bound from Capetown to GB.

The account makes grim reading and although it is easy to judge from the safety of an easy chair it is a pity that the course of action set in train by Hartenstein was not allowed to continue.

The Italian POW's were being taken to GB from Capetown , following their having been moved there from North Africa.



The Italians claimed that the Poles guarding them refused to open the POW "pens" and many men went down with the ship as a result of this action , again it is easy to judge - but with the great gift (hindsight) it was a mistake not to have done so , but one which is understandable.

In all 2,700 on board crew , passangers , POWs and Polish guards.
Many of those picked up by U-156 speak highly of the treatment accorded to them by the German crew , there is no doubt that many died after the sinking who might otherwise have lived had U-156 not been attacked.
As it was she attacked and was not sunk , it was all for nothing - a waste of life.

Jurgen Rohwer "Chronology of The War at Sea 1939-1945" - decribes that the order to attack came from a Captain Richardson of the 1st US Composite Group and how the U-156 was attack inspite of the clearly displayed Red Cross flags.
From Blair and Rohwer's accounts it would seem that an operation was under way both by the Vichy French and the British in Freetown to meet with the Axis submarines to pick up the survivors and that the Ascension based aircraft would be asked to provide air cover to the Brish ships.
The order to attack killed this operation as dead in the water just as emphatically Hartenstein's torpedos had sunk the Laconia , a decent act to save both the Italian POW's and the civilian passanger and crew came to nothing.
from Ken Wynn's U-Boat Career Histories Vol1.
Page 120-121 - U-156.
" On the 13th Hartenstein had a large 6ft square Red Cross draped over the deckgun.
On the 16th when an Allied aircraft appeared , a US Liberator the flag was placed over the deck gun for the Liberator to see.
An RAF officer aboard U-156 sent a radio mesage to the aircraft explaining the situation.
The aircraft left but half an hour later another aircraft appeared and dropped two bombs which missed the submarine , Hartenstein cut the lines to the lifeboatsas the aircraft came in for a second attack.This time a bomb destroyed one life boat and overturned another , the second bomb fell wide.
In a third attack U-156 sustained damage.
Hartenstein took his boat close to the life boats and put off 55 Allied suvivvors and 55 POWs.
He made temporary repairs and headed West, taking no further part in rescue operations , many whom he put into the water did not survive."

You have to wonder how this would have been reported had it been an Allied submarine assisting German survivors and Allied POWs only to be attacked by a German aircraft ?

 

Just curious, and in no way trying to belittle anyone, just trying to understand the rules.

Is an armed vessel of a navy allowed to designate it's self as a hospital ship? I would think that despite the Red Cross Flag, she is an armed vessel of a belligerent navy and open for attack, though my own morals would tell me not to drop my load on them. What are the rules of war for such a situation?

 

By "the rules" hospital ships were not armed and have to be specifically marked.
From what I have seen it would appear that the British and Vichy French had diverted resources to pick up the survivors.
Attacking the submarine again not being the man on the spot makes it very easy but I think it has to go beyond considering that she was an enemy submarine on the surface.
The American Captain who gave the order to attack could have gone up the line for advice , I wonder did he ?
The order put the pilot in an impossible position.
Donitz viewed it as follows
" Action was wrong . Boat was dispatched to rescue Italian Allies notfor rescue and care of Englishmen and Poles"

All very well for Donitz - he was not on the spot - there were aspects of Donitz which I didn't really care for , this is one fo them.

Blair's history continues" Donitz was exasperated. He though Hartenstein showed poor judgement in assuming that a "tacit truce" existed.The Allies could not be trusted. All three German skippers involved in the rescue had unduly risked their U-Boats by taking on too many survivors and by towing a string of life boats that interferredwith crash dives.
As a consequence U-156 and U-506 were nearly lost to air attack".

At nuremberg he refuted the "Laconia order" with the "Laconia evidence". ( Blair).

 

Cheers for that James

After reading the thread I took a quick glance at the Geneva Conventions text. A confusing document in its self. I didn't find anything that related specifically to such a circumstance as warships engaged in rescue or other humanitarian aid in a time of war, and was curious about the specifics.

 

Troops on the ground that are medics and doctors are allowed to carry weapons (Rifles and pistols) to protect themselves and their patients.....Does a similiar scenario apply it self to Hostpital Ships in the way of air defence systems for example?

Sorry for going of topic.

 

As far as I am aware Andy hospital shipa had to be clearly marked white with Red Cross and had to travel illuminated at night , they were not armed.

 

Thanks Chaps

I was aware of the overall circumstances but my interest is the ports of departure and destination paricularly the port of departure.

I am intrigued as to how the Assistant Controller of the Voluntary Aid Detachment of Malta, who had volunteered to tend the Italian Prisoners of War, was on board the Laconia particulartly if the port of departure was Capetown, South Africa. She was one of the casualties.

Tony

 

John Terraine in his "Business in the Great Waters- The U-Boat War 1916-1945) also states that Laconia was "homeward bound" from Capetown.
(At a guess I would think she was probably bound for Liverpool).

 

James & Mikebatzel

Your combined suggestions make sense Capetown to Liverpool via Freetown? Hope BRCS can explain how the Asst. Controller of Malta VAD came to be on board.

Tony

 

Hope it works out Tony , that she would be there is something which you would not actually expect.

 

LACONIA official number 145925 was on a voyage from Suez to the UK.
Dep Suez 30 July 1942
Arr Aden 3 Aug
Dep Aden 4 Aug
Arr Mombasa 10 Aug
Dep Mombasa 14 Aug
Arr Durban 20 Aug
Dep Durban 29 Aug
Arr Cape Town 1 Sept
Dep Cape Town 4 Sept

Torpedoed by U-156 (Hartenstein) 12 September 1942.

For those of you interested I have a transcript of a letter written by Karl-Friedrich Merten of U-68 who explains the rationale of the Laconia order as it pertained to the sinking of my father's ship in the South Atlantic. Details here: Why I did it, by U-boat Captain

Regards
Hugh

 

The detailing of the departures and arrivals makes sense Hugh and that she departed from Suez with the POW's on board.
When you look at it the trip out and back was a long one for her , in 1942 the Med was still a very hot zone for any Allied merchant vessel , also that she made passage through a zone which the Japanese also deployed submarines to.

Thank you.

WORLD WAR II GERMAN MEMORABILIA

http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/cunard7.html
About half way down , an accountof her sinking and sailings.

 

One of the guys on my local reseach list, was killled on board the Laconia, will dig out what I have so far and post when I get a chance

P

 

James and all,

I note in some of these sites the arrival/departure dates differ to what I posted. I may be correct or incorrect, but the only way to be sure would be to download her movement card from the National Archives. This is held in piece BT 389/18 and can be downloaded for £3.50. This will list all movements from 1939 till she was sunk.

Regards
Hugh

 

Hugh , thank you for this - will certainly take a look .
I am always struck by the Laconia incident - one of those rare moments in the war when humanity raised its head , I have to say this in favour of Hartenstein who was himslef killed in August of the following year,sunk by an air attack in the Caribbean - surprised by a Catalina which delivered an acurate attack.
The aircrew threw out life rafts to the 11 or so survivors in the water , who were seen to reach the rafts - in the end none survived the sinking.
Monsarrat's best selling title was very apt for all who fought their war at sea.

 

Noting now that the Laconia started its fateful journey from Suez, where I assume that it took on the Italian POWs, appears to shed a light on how a BRCS VAD Controller from Malta was a passenger on the vessel to tend to the requirements of the POWs.

Tony