The submarine that tried to save its enemies from the sea

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1942, a German U-boat commander faced a moral crisis: should he follow orders or save lives? After sinking a British troopship, Korvettenkapitän Werner Hartenstein chose rescue. His decision led to one of the most tragic and misunderstood naval incidents of World War II.

On September 12, 1942, the German U-boat U-156 torpedoed the RMS Laconia off the West African coast. The ship was carrying over 2,700 people, including 1,809 Italian prisoners of war (POWs). Upon surfacing to capture senior officers, Commander Hartenstein discovered thousands of survivors in the water. Realizing he had endangered fellow Axis members, he immediately began rescue operations under Red Cross banners, broadcasting his position on open radio channels and requesting assistance from all nearby vessels.

The humanitarian effort was met with tragedy. While some U-boats joined the rescue, a U.S. B-24 Liberator bomber spotted U-156 flying its Red Cross flag. Despite Hartenstein's pleas in Morse code and English for help, the American pilot—ordered to sink the sub by his commander who feared it might threaten secret Allied bases—attacked the vessel. The bombing killed dozens of survivors and forced the submarine to crash dive, casting many more into the ocean where they faced sharks and exposure.

The incident had profound consequences for naval law. Infuriated by the rescue attempt, Adolf Hitler ordered it abandoned, leading Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz to issue the 'Laconia Order.' This directive forbade U-boats from rescuing any survivors, ushering in a period of unrestricted submarine warfare. The event also became a point of contention during the Nuremberg trials; when prosecutors tried to use the Laconia Order as evidence of war crimes, the revelation of the American bombing and the humanitarian context caused significant embarrassment for the United States.

The human cost was staggering: between 1,658 and 1,757 people were killed, mostly Italian POWs. Many victims were bayoneted by Polish guards to prevent them from boarding the few available lifeboats, as the ship lacked sufficient craft for its total complement.

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