Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

U-boat commanders and war crimes

Discussion in 'Submarines and ASW Technology' started by Hummel, Nov 14, 2010.

  1. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2003
    Messages:
    20,815
    Likes Received:
    3,042
    Location:
    Stirling, Scotland
    The British wanted to try the commander of U-2336 for war crimes because he sank two merchant ships- Sneland I and Avondale Park - in the last hours before the German surrender, and after the Kreigsmarine had ordered U-boats to stop attacking shipping. The commander claimed his radio was u/s and that he had never received the signal, and the British couldn't prove otherwise.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Avondale_Park
    http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/snelandI.html
    http://www.uboat.net/men/commanders/617.html
     
  2. Smiley 2.0

    Smiley 2.0 Smiles

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2014
    Messages:
    1,450
    Likes Received:
    180
    Location:
    The Land of the Noble Steed
    This is a neat topic with a lot of new information! Let's keep this going :)
     
  3. Herr Kaleun

    Herr Kaleun Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    247
    Likes Received:
    22
    http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/nca/nca-02/nca-02-16-responsibility-14-06-02.html

    From the above link...

    Moehle graphically describes Doenitz's incitement of his men to the murder of survivors:

    "A type VII boat (600-tonner) reported in her war log that when outward bound from a base in France she met far out in the Bay of Biscay a raft with five enemy airmen, but was not able to take them on board owing to shortage of room (she had a complement of 54 and carried full provisions for 14 weeks). The boat therefore proceeded without taking any notice of the survivors.
    "This action of the U-boat was vehemently denounced by the Commander in Chief U-boats' staff. It was stated that she would have acted more correctly in destroying this raft since it was highly probably that the enemy air crew would be rescued by the enemy and in the meantime might once more have destroyed a German U- boat.

    "This occurrence made the views of the Commander in Chief U-boats clear to me."
     
  4. Jaap Vermeer MDE

    Jaap Vermeer MDE Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2017
    Messages:
    152
    Likes Received:
    57
    Admiralty War Diary and two articles
     

    Attached Files:

  5. James Stewart

    James Stewart Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2020
    Messages:
    230
    Likes Received:
    146
    This is true but it is the nature of propaganda and psych. war to do so.
    It is no secret that unrestricted submarine warfare was the name of the game and that to stay safe as a submarine this was the way it would go and all sides conducted USW, Donitz although a confirmed Nazi and supporter of Hitler was given a bit of a raw deal.
    Laconia - Hartenstein had little choice but to help when he found himself surrounded by hundreds of Italians but to be fair he gave the best he could to all and one has to respect him for this.
    The resulting "Laconia Order", it was no more than was already the situation - and in most instances, the U Boat/submarine was never in any position to help as most attacks were at night and on defended convoys, only in more distant waters when the ship was sailing along could help be offered. ( And not all offered help).
    The war at sea was hard and uncompromising but by and large, was a war without hatred and was seen as a job that had to be done.
    A decent read if one can find it "Neither Sharks Nor Wolves" By Timmothy Mulligan ( Naval Institute Press) - a look at who crewed the submarines ( U Boats).
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2020
    bronk7 likes this.
  6. bronk7

    bronk7 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 5, 2013
    Messages:
    4,753
    Likes Received:
    328
    Location:
    MIDWEST
    .....if I'm not mistaken, the Americans gunned down Japanese sailors/troops in the water/in life rafts at the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.....
    ..war is not nice and clean .....not a movie.....etc
     
    James Stewart likes this.

Share This Page