Is the sinking of the Laconia a true story?
Dramatisation of the true story of the sinking of the liner Laconia by a German U-boat in 1942 through the eyes of six survivors.
When did the Laconia sink?
September 12, 1942
A German U-boat sinks a British troop ship, the Laconia, killing more than 1,400 men on September 12, 1942. The commander of the German sub, Capt. Werner Hartenstein, realizing that Italians POWs were among the passengers, strove to aid in their rescue.
How can I watch the sinking of the Laconia?
Currently you are able to watch “The Sinking of the Laconia” streaming on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel.
How many Laconia survivors are there?
Just over 1,000 survived the sinking of the Laconia; of these, only 415 were Italians. None of the three German U-boat captains involved in the humanitarian rescue effort survived the war, as their submarines were all sunk by attacks by Allied aircraft.
Did submarines pick survivors?
Though the ship was flying a Red Cross flag, it was an enemy submarine and therefore a danger both to the airfield and to Allied shipping. Fortunately, just hours later the Vichy French ships arrived and picked up most of the survivors and took them to Dakar, West Africa, from where they were sent to internment camps.
What happened to the survivors of the Laconia?
The B-24 killed dozens of Laconia’s survivors with bombs and strafing attacks, forcing U-156 to cast into the sea the remaining survivors that she had rescued, and to crash dive to avoid being destroyed. Rescue operations were continued by other vessels.
What civilian ship was sunk in ww2?
liner Athenia
The first civilian casualty of World War II, the Cunard passenger liner Athenia of 13,581 tons, (chartered from the Anchor Donaldson Line) was sunk without warning west of Scotland by the German submarine U-30 (Oblt.
Did any German U-boats survived the war?
It was the German subs that were in perilous waters. Blair attributes to the German historian Axel Niestle the conclusion that of 859 U-boats that set off on war patrols, 648 were lost — 75 percent. Of these, 429 yielded no survivors.
What happened to the RMS Laconia?
RMS Laconia, carrying 2,732 crew, passengers, soldiers and prisoners of war, was torpedoed and sunk by U-156, a German U-boat, off the West African coast. A total of 1,113 crew were eventually rescued; however, 1,619 were killed, mostly Italian POWs.
Did U-boats pick survivors?
They jumped into the shark-infested waters and swam for the remaining lifeboats as U-156 headed away from the danger zone. Fortunately, just hours later the Vichy French ships arrived and picked up most of the survivors and took them to Dakar, West Africa, from where they were sent to internment camps.
Did the SS Alexis sink?
She was the ship of convoy vice commodore and was immediately abandoned by the master, 54 crew members, three convoy signalmen and ten gunners after being torpedoed on the port side. However, the ship eventually sank after being hit by one G7a torpedo fired by U-91 at 01.35 hours.