The true story of the Allied ship Laconia, sunk in WWII by a German U-Boat, which then surfaced against orders to rescue the civilian crew
2011-01-06
On the 12th September 1942 the Laconia - a cruise ship turned troop ship - was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-156 commanded by Werner Hartenstein. She carried a motley crew of women, children, wounded soldiers and Italian Prisoners of War. Having sunk the ship, Hartenstein should have left them to their uncertain fate in the water, but instead he made the incredible decision to save as many lives as he could. A true story of unexpected gallantry and humanity in the fog of war.
2011-01-07
U-boat commander Werner Hartenstein has torpedoed the Laconia and mounted an extraordinary rescue operation. U-156's deck is crowded with Allied survivors fished out of the South Atlantic. But in the fog of war confusion reigns and U-156 is spotted by an American bomber which moves in to attack.
Hilda Smith
Werner Hartenstein
Mannesmann
Remmert
Rostau
Fiedler
Thomas Mortimer
Elisabeth Fullwood
Karl Dönitz
Sarah Fullwood
Walter Drexler
Benjamin Coutts
Captain Sharp
Laura Ferguson
Harry Townes
Declan McDermott
George Steel
Henry Bates
Billy Hardacre
William Williams
1998
2002
1962
1964
2000
2012
2019
1993
2009
1983
2014
1984
2023
1981
2021
1980
1995
2024