Laconia Order

The Laconia Order (Laconia-Befehl) was issued by German Grand Admiral (Großadmiral) Karl Dönitz during World War II as a result of the Laconia incident.

Prior to this incident, vessels of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine), like most other navies, customarily picked up survivors, with the exception of german submarines, which were already under orders not to do that as per the War Order No. 154. In 1942, off the coast of west Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, the German vessels attempting to rescue survivors of the ocean liner RMS Laconia were attacked by an American aircraft.

The order

The order was as follows:

Jegliche Rettungsversuche von Angehörigen versenkter Schiffe, also auch das Auffischen Schwimmender und Anbordgabe auf Rettungsboote, Aufrichten gekenterter Rettungsboote, Abgabe von Nahrungsmitteln und Wasser haben zu unterbleiben. Rettung widerspricht den primitivsten Forderungen der Kriegsführung nach Vernichtung feindlicher Schiffe und deren Besatzungen. Die Befehle über das Mitbringen von Kapitänen und Chefingenieuren bleiben bestehen. Schiffbrüchige nur dann retten, wenn ihre Aussagen für das Boot von Wichtigkeit sind. Bleibt hart. Denkt daran, daß der Gegner bei seinen Bombenangriffen auf deutsche Städte keine Rücksicht auf Frauen und Kinder nimmt!

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. The orders concerning the bringing-in of skippers and chief engineers stay in effect. Survivors are to be saved only if their statements are important for the boat. Stay firm. Remember that the enemy has no regard for women and children when bombing German cities!

Nuremberg trial

This order, 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. However, as evidence of similar conduct by the Allies was presented at his trial, his sentence was not assessed on the grounds of this breach of international law.

See also

• War Order No. 154
• Unrestricted submarine warfare