In 1942, a British transport ship carrying 2,400 people was sunk, and three German submarines went to save people. However, U.S. bombers took the opportunity to bomb submarines, killing more than 400 people on the spot. Surprisingly, German Navy Commander Dönitz was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the rescue; the American officer who ordered the bombing was rewarded with a promotion.
German submarines attacked British transport ships, but most of the people who fell into the water were allies Italians, and the commander of the German submarine, Haltenstein, decided to rescue the fallen in spite of the danger.
At 22:00 on the night of September 12, 1942, the German submarine U-156 spotted a British transport ship in the northwest waters of Assuncian Island. At 22:20 Commander Halltenstein ordered an attack on the transport ship, which was subsequently hit by 2 torpedoes. Suddenly, there were shouts of help from the imprisoned Italian prisoners of war, and the captain heard the cries of the Italians and thought that the torpedo had hit the ship full of German allies. Later, Captain Haltenstein learned from the first survivors of the salvage that the British "Laconia" carried more than 2,400 people, of whom more than 1,800 were Italian prisoners of war.
After receiving the news, the captain hurried to ask his superiors for instructions, which undoubtedly created a problem for The Commander of the German Submarine Force, Marshal Carl Dönitz. Rescue is OK, but how to dodge if you encounter An allied planes?
However, he eventually ordered two other German submarines in the waters of the accident site to rush to the rescue of the fallen. The German submarine U-506 arrived on 14 September to take part in the rescue. The German submarine U-507 also arrived on 15 September to participate in the rescue. Due to the large number of people, the submarine can only sail on the water, so that the deck can stand people, while the submarine also tows 13 lifeboats. Although facing the wind and the sun, people are still happy to escape.
Afraid of what was coming, the US military planes rushed to join in the fun, and the captain quickly hung up the Red Cross flag, and at the same time issued a clear report. The US planes were indifferent and bombarded the submarine indiscriminately.
However, they were not happy for long, and the catastrophe was imminent! At noon on September 16, a U.S. B-24 heavy bomber suddenly appeared in the sky. The captain thought that the plane had come to participate in the rescue, so he ordered the Red Cross flag to be hung on the bridge × 2 meters square, and at the same time sent a message to the bomber in Morse code to explain the peaceful intentions of the mission.
Unfortunately, the B-24 bomber pilot, Captain Haden, did not understand the meaning of the code, and he asked commander Richardson for instructions, and then received the order to sink the submarine. Bombers then dropped bombs on the submarine, resulting in multiple lifeboats full of survivors moored behind the submarine being hit by bombs. At this point, the captain understood that there was no other choice but to flee as soon as possible. He ordered the survivors of the submarine to leave the ship immediately, and the U-156 submarine quickly dived away.
Wave after wave of unrest, the Italians rushed to the rescue, but afterwards they cursed britain and the United States for committing massacres.
It was not until 18 September that the Italian warships arrived at the scene of the incident and rescued all the survivors. After counting the numbers, the Italians were furious, because most of the 1113 survivors rescued were British, only more than 400 Italian prisoners of war, and the remaining 1400 were all lost. It turned out that these people were locked in the cabin of the British, and after the war, Italy was angry about the "Laconia" incident, and repeatedly accused Britain and the United States of committing massacres.
The Germans also had 2 submarines damaged, resulting in a month-long interruption of the Atlantic Blockade Line. For this reason, Dönitz issued an order: in future battles, it is forbidden to rescue the enemy! This is the "Laconia Decree." At the post-war Nuremberg Trials, Dönitz was sentenced to 10 years in prison, importantly because he issued the "Laconia Decree." And Charlie Desson, who issued the bombing order, was not punished in any way, and was promoted to brigadier general of the US Air Force, such a result has to be lamented!