description SS Laconia Overview
SS Laconia was a British ocean liner requisitioned as a troopship during the Second World War. German submarine U-156 torpedoed it in the South Atlantic on 12 September 1942 while it carried crew, passengers, British and Polish military personnel, and about 1,800 Italian prisoners of war. Rescue efforts involving German submarines were interrupted by an American air attack, and the episode contributed to Admiral Karl Donitz issuing the Laconia Order restricting submarine rescues.
insights Ranking position
SS Laconia ranks #49 of 186 in the Shipwreck ranking, behind HIJMS Zuikaku, ahead of USS Lexington (CV-2).
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Why did U-156 try to rescue survivors from SS Laconia?
After torpedoing Laconia on September 12, 1942, U-156 discovered that the ship carried many Italian prisoners of war as well as Allied personnel and civilians. Commander Werner Hartenstein began rescuing survivors and broadcast a message requesting assistance.
What was the Laconia incident?
The incident encompassed Laconia's sinking, the German and Italian submarine rescue effort, and an American bomber attack on U-156 while survivors were aboard and in nearby lifeboats. It became one of the most controversial rescue episodes of the Battle of the Atlantic.
What was the Laconia Order?
Admiral Karl Dönitz issued the order shortly after the incident, directing German U-boats not to undertake similar rescue operations. The order later became an issue during the Nuremberg proceedings.
Where is the wreck of SS Laconia?
Laconia sank in deep water in the South Atlantic, northeast of Ascension Island. The wreck has not become a routinely visited dive site because of its remote position and great depth.
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