Doenitz I.

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"I have a reactionary army, a National Socialist air force, and a Christian navy." - - A. Hitler.

Bleibt hart. Denkt daran, daß der Gegner bei seinen Bombenangriffen auf deutsche Städte keine Rücksicht auf Frauen und Kinder nimmt! - - Karl Doenitz.

See # 4 below.

Here more on the Laconia Order. The instructions, issued by Admiral Doenitz in the aftermath of the "incident". An outraged and defiant Doenitz orders his sub skippers not to be "Mr. Nice Guy" any more. Be tough, be hard!

The German Navy, during the early part of the war, surface raiders and U-boat alike, comported themselves in an admirable fashion, as best they could? Special mention with regard here to Captain Rogge of the surface raider Atlantis. Post-Laconia, the war at sea became no-holds-barred!!

The Laconia Order as issued:

1. All efforts to save survivors of sunken ships, such as the fishing out of swimming men and putting them on board lifeboats, the righting of overturned lifeboats, or the handing over of food and water, must stop. Rescue contradicts the most basic demands of the war: the destruction of hostile ships and their crews.

2. The orders concerning the bringing-in of skippers and chief engineers stay in effect.

3. Survivors are to be saved only if their statements are important for the boat.

4. Stay hard. Remember that the enemy has no regard for woman and children when bombing German cities.

In part, as a result of issuing the Laconia Order and another set of instructions to his submariners at the start of the war, among other things, Doenitz was tried for war crimes and found guilty. Served ten years in prison.

"This order [Laconia], along with War Order No. 154 of 1939, were introduced by the prosecution at the post-war Nuremberg Trial of Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. In the judgement, it was found that by issuing these two orders, Dönitz caused Nazi Germany to be in breach of the Second London Naval Treaty of 1936."

Read the proceedings of the trial of Doenitz on the web courtesy of the Avalon Project, Yale Law School.

coolbert.