Forgotten American War Crime: The Laconia Incident

On September 12, 1942 the Cunard ocean liner RMS Laconia was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine, U-156 commanded by captain Werner Hartenstein. He had attacked a legitimate target of war but what shocked to find it full of civilians and prisoners of war, sparking an epic tale of survival, tragedy and human compassion that captivates to this day. Why did Hartenstein try to help? What was the deadly chain of events that led to the rescue effort being attacked from the air? Join us today as we explore the tragic story of the sinking of RMS Laconia.

Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels– from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!

0:00 Intro
1:48 Laconia: Cunard's Gem
3:56 War at Sea
13:15 U-156
15:01 Laconia Torpedoed
23:30 Rescue Attempt
31:07 Aircraft Spotted
37:03 U-156 Attacked
40:51 Fight for Survival
45:26 Aftermath and Blame

#history #worldwar3 #ww2 #documentary #tragedy #sinking #ship #maritime #titanic

[KenGibson-iq]

Watched this with Jack the animater my grandson last night Im very proud of him Mike you have an excellent team, another exceptional piece of work well w

[giuliobernacchia]

On October 15, 1940 the Italian submarine Cappellini (the same that under a different captain is mentioned in this wonderful video) sunk a Belgian freighter, the Kabalo. Capitano di Corvetta Salvatore Todaro decided to rig the boat with the survivors to its ship and proceeded to tow them to safety to the Azores. He would be severely criticized by his superiors for endangering his sub but famously answered that he did it because “I felt the weight of two thousand years of civilization on my shoulders”.

[Arthion]

If Captain Hartenstein and fellow u-boat commanders who risked themselves to save crew, passengers, civilians and PoWs have actual memorial/grave at home I hope they are well tended to and receive flowers once in a while. People who show that level of compassion even risking themselves whilst at war deserve to be honored.

[seahad]

I salute you Werner Hartenstein, his crew and others involved in the rescue. You showed there is light in darkness during your time.

[whyjnot]

There almost seems to be a collective desire to forget this story. As amazing as it is, it is one that I hear far less than other stories about ships. Being as appalling as it is amazing, it is no wonder why. (Not to mention it contradicts the desire to paint every last German back then as evil.)

[judechandler]

There is no better a tribute to a lost ship, an act of wartime humanity, or act of immense bravery than to be documented in one of your videos. The animations are better than some 15 year old movies, the narration is well worded and relaxing, and the storytelling is superb. Respectful and informative, this channel has come to be my favourite maritime documentary source.

[zacharyking]

It's not often I get a reason to weep over the loss of a German officer that fought during WW2, and I'm not quite sure how to feel about the fact that I just did weep about 30 seconds before I started this comment. THIS is what we need more of in the world. Personal stories like this from multiple sides, not just "Germany bad, America good." This is peak YouTube and I can not thank you enough for bringing this content to me.

[RandomDeforge]

initial set of events was a tragedy, but the fact that no one was held accountable for this afterwards is flat criminal.
if "just following orders": wasnt an excuse enough for the nazis, then it shouldn't have been for those that gave the order to attack the survivors.

this needs to be made into a film without any diversion from the facts so that the public knows the history

[boyo]

Incredible jaw-dropping documentary about the Laconia, U-156, and this sadly forgotten part of history. Absolutely one of the best videos produced thus far!

[peterbamforth]

It's about time this incident was recognised as a war crime. Well done.

[diegoarias]

This and the sinking of the RMS Lancastria sinking have always fascinated me, weird how both were commanded under Rudolph Sharp.

[TrexelCat]

This makes me think of a phrase "Attack the weapons, not the people". Once the Laconia had been sunk, by all rights a weapon as she was carrying guns(and honestly should not have had civilians onboard while armed during war), the act of the U-Boat commander to then offer aid to the people who survived is to be commended.

[davidanderson]

A little historical trivia for you: At the Nuremberg trials, Chester Nimitz actually testified on Doenitz's behalf stating that he issued the same orders to his submariners as well at the very onset of the Pacific war ;-) It was this testimony that led to this comparative lenient sentence Doenitz received

[anna_in_aotearoa]

Cpt. Hartenstein's extended efforts to do the ethical thing despite the harsh context of war really have my admiration. See also his actions following the later sinking of the Quebec City too - this seems to have been his consistent character?

The fact that the US plane's illegal bombing action directly led to the "Laconia order" and ALL German uboats being forbidden to even try and rescue survivors of ship sinkings means that Harden's crew and commander share responsibility not just for those they directly killed by bombing the Laconia survivors, but who knows how many other civilian casualties who had to abandon ships subsequent to later submarine attacks, who would not be picked up for fear of retaliation.

The Allies tried to use the Laconia order against the Germans at Nuremberg trials but frankly, I feel like it is the Americans they should have been prosecuting on that one 😢 Thank you for telling this story, it must have been heartbreaking to research & recount, but I think it's super-important to memorialize.

[andrewreynolds]

He said that he admired the U-boat captain dude. I felt that hit me hard, which shows you how much he got his respect despite his ship getting sunk by him!

[kateemma]

Ruhe in frieden, Kapitänleutenant Hartenstein und U-Boot Besatzung 156. And another great video, Oceanliner Designs team. This is a story that needs to be told everywhere to remind us all that humanity is and should always be above politics.

[sirridesalot]

Wow! A story that can bring tears to the eyes. What a man Captain Werner Hartenstein was. He deserves to be remembered.

I have an unstarted 1/144 Type 7 U-boat kit here. When I get around to building it I'll build it as U-156.

[wolfvontyr]

During his service in WWI as a fighter pilot, Herman Goering never shot down disabled aircraft. Once they couldn't fight, they were effectively a non-combatant and he let them fly home. He was criticised for this attitude. To which he replied (to paraphrase) 'I'm a hunter, not a butcher.'

I love to hear stories of this kind of comradeship and humanity during wartime, especially in this case where Captain Hartenstein was in command of such a feared and prized weapon but risked it all to show humanity. It was a cascade of communication failings, as well as an inexperienced and eager USAF crew that saw this otherwise romantic moment dashed. The fact Captain Hartenstein is still respected for this shows just how precious compassion is, even after his death.

Thank you for covering this. I hadn't heard of it before and to know now... I feel better for it. Thank you.

[Ma]

You mentioned that Dönitz received light treatment at his war crimes trial, but failed to mention that Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet in WWII testified on his behalf at the trial, saying that the US submarines were under the same constraints not to risk themselves.
It should also be noted that the dreaded U-Boats started WWI strictly following the rules of cruiser warfare that required them to surface and board neutrals and allow crews of belligerent ships to abandon ship before sinking them. That ended when the British created Q Ships, heavily armed ships that appeared to be harmless freighters until a U-Boat surfaced. That quickly resulted in all ships being sunk on sight. With eight six-inch guns the Laconia was as heavily armed as many cruisers and a good example of why U-Boats would attack while submerged.

[davidsherwin]

Who needs Hollywood when we have amazing creators such as yourself. Your best work so far. Thank you.