# Do naval vessels rescue enemy seamen?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-naval-vessels-rescue-enemy-seamen/1003031>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 18, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-naval-vessels-rescue-enemy-seamen/1003031 "2024-06-18T23:05:06Z")\
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**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2024, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-naval-vessels-rescue-enemy-seamen/1003031/7 "2024-06-19T00:54:46Z")

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Believe it or not, during the earlier part of world War II, some U-boats rescued survivors of ships they sank. Then [the Laconia incident](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconia_incident) happened, and that ceased.

> [RMS _Laconia_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Laconia_(1921)), carrying 2,732 crew, passengers, soldiers, and [prisoners of war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoners_of_war), was torpedoed and sunk by [_U-156_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-156_(1941)), a German [U-boat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-boat), off the [West African](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa) coast. Operating partly under the dictates of the old [prize rules](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prize_rules), the [U-boat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-boat)’s commander, _[Korvettenkapitän](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korvettenkapit%C3%A4n)_ [Werner Hartenstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Hartenstein), immediately commenced rescue operations. _U-156_ broadcast her position on open radio channels to all [Allied powers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II) nearby, and was joined by several other U-boats in the vicinity.
> 
> After surfacing and picking up survivors, who were accommodated on the [foredeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foredeck), _U-156_ headed on the surface under [Red Cross](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cross) banners to rendezvous with [Vichy French](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichy_French) ships and transfer the survivors. En route, the U-boat was spotted by a [B-24 Liberator](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-24_Liberator) bomber of the [US Army Air Forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Army_Air_Forces). The aircrew, having reported the U-boat’s location, declared intentions, and the presence of survivors, were then ordered to attack the sub. The B-24 killed dozens of _Laconia_ 's survivors with bombs and [strafing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strafing) attacks, forcing _U-156_ to cast into the sea the remaining survivors that she had rescued and [crash dive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_dive) to avoid being destroyed.
> 
> Rescue operations were continued by other vessels. Another U-boat, [_U-506_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-506), was also attacked by US aircraft and forced to dive. A total of 976 to 1,083 people were eventually rescued; however, 1,658 to 1,757 were killed, mostly Italian [POWs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner_of_war). The event changed the general attitude of Germany’s naval personnel towards rescuing stranded Allied seamen. The commanders of the _[Kriegsmarine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsmarine)_ were quickly issued the [Laconia Order](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconia_Order) by Grand Admiral [Karl Dönitz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_D%C3%B6nitz), which specifically forbade any such attempt and ushered in [unrestricted submarine warfare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestricted_submarine_warfare) for the remainder of the war.

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