[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...

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Wednesday, 16 September 1942 - Paris, Avenue Maréchal Maunoury

Despite large Red Cross flag, U 156 (Hartenstein) was bombed five times by an American "Liberator" type plane, while towing 4 full life boats. Both periscopes temporarily out of order. Submarine stopped rescue work and transferred all survivors to the boats. She was ordered to render no further assistance in any rescue attempts.
Once again, all submarines have been told that the safety of our own boats must not be endangered in any circumstances. If necessary, take any steps, even breaking off all rescue work. Only Italians are to be taken on board and they are to be handed over to the French at the pre-arranged rendezvous points.
As shown by the report from U 156, the Commanding Officer did not believe that the enemy would attack once he saw the Red Cross flag and the rescue attempts. This opinion is hard to understand. It must be assumed, that he was influenced by seeing hundreds of survivors fighting for their lives.

Japanese submarine I-29 sank British ship "Ocean Honour" in the mouth of the Gulf of Aden; 20 were killed, 33 survived.

369 British bombers attacked the Ruhr industrial region of Germany, damaging buildings (incl. a Krupp factory in Essen; 47 civilians killed), Bochum, Wuppertal, Herne and Cochem; 39 bombers were shot down during this night.

In Stalingrad, the Soviet NKVD rifle battalion stationed on Mamayev Kurgan hill, continues to fight off our attempts to take this high point.

Our 502nd Tank Battalion, stationed near Leningrad, receives the first batch of Tiger I tanks.

RST

KvtKpt.& A I op
(convoy staff office)

Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...

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Thursday, 17 September 1942 - Paris, Avenue Maréchal Maunoury

U 506 (Würdemann) and U 507 (Schacht) transferred 415 Italian and 668 Allied survivors to the French cruiser "Gloire", sloop "Annamite", and sloop "Dumont d'Urville". U 507 is returning on 17 Sept. U 506 was bombed at mid-day by the same Ascension Island-based US B-24 Liberator bomber, that attacked on the previous day, forcing U-506 to dive while 142 survivors were still on the deck. Boat is operationally serviceable and is continuing to operate in the same area.

All Commanding Officers are again reminded that attempts to rescue the crews of ships sunk are in direct contradiction to the most primitive rules of warfare after sinking enemy ships and their crews. Orders dealing with bringing captains and chief engineers back remain unchanged.

"Laconia-Order", issued by B.d.U.:

1. Every attempt to save survivors of sunken ships, also the fishing up of swimming men and putting them on board lifeboats, the setup right of overturned lifeboats, the handing over of food and water have be discontinued. These rescues contradict the primitive demands of warfare, esp., the destruction of enemy ships and their crews.
2. The orders concerning the bringing in of skippers and chief engineers stay in effect.
3. Survivors are only to rescue, if their statements are important for the boat.
4. Stay hard. Don't forget, that the enemy didn't take any regard for women and children when bombarding German cities.

In Stalingrad, our troops engage the Soviets in heavy fighting at the Mamayev Kurgan hill, the Central Station, the grain elevator, and the apartment building soon to be named "Pavlov's House". Also in the city, our troops continue to advance along the Tsaritsa River toward the banks of the Volga River, where Soviet reinforcements are arriving from the other side.

RST

KvtKpt.& A I op
(convoy staff office)