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The Baralong Affair

Discussion in 'Military History' started by GRW, Mar 11, 2021.

  1. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    Two alleged British war crimes from WW1.
    "BARALONG was taken up for service as a Q-ship on 2 August 1914 with the Pennant Nr: Y 9.5 and in the Spring of 1915 was armed with 3 concealed 12-pdr guns and went out looking for enemy submarines in the busy shipping lanes where they were wreaking havoc.
    BARALONG had gone as quickly as possible to the scene in the Irish Sea off the Old Head of Kinsale after the Cunard liner LUSITANIA had been torpedoed and sunk without warning by the German submarine U-20 on 7 May 1915 with the loss of 1,198 lives, but the submarine was well clear of the area when she arrived. This caused outrage in the U.K. and in the neutral world and when next in port, BARALONG’s Captain was told verbally by the Admiralty that it “was most undesirable to take any enemy submarine prisoners”. This statement may well have led to the subsequent “BARALONG Affair “"
    www.historicalrfa.org/archived-stories68/1280-the-baralong-affair-17
     
    Kai-Petri likes this.

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