Wednesday, June 27, 2018

The German Navy's U86 commits a high seas atrocity. June 27, 1918.



On this day in 1918 the U86 torpedoed and sank the HMHS Llandovery Castle, a Canadian hospital ship.  Hospital ships were not targets of war under international law and targeting them was further against the standing orders of the German Navy.

When the submarine's crew realized what had occurred, U86's commander ordered the boat surfaced and they in turn began to ram and machinegun the survivors.  Only 26 individuals in one life boat survived the combined sinking and murders.  The loss of life included fourteen Canadian nurses.  Only six of the ninety seven hospital personnel on board survived the event.

The sinking was used in British posters for victory bonds after it had become learned of.

"Llandovery Castle!" became the battle cry of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division as its commanding officer was from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where two of the nursing sisters from the ship were also from.

After the war U86's Lieutenant Helmut Patzig, and two of his officers, Ludwig Dithmar and John Bold, were put on trial for war crimes.  Patzig fled the country and avoided extradition. Dithmar and Bold were convicted and sentenced to four years, from which they escaped, but their sentences were reversed on appeal on the basis that the commander of the U-boat bore full responsibility for the illegal actions.  Patzig lived for a time under an assumed name but returned to German naval service, in the U-boat branch, as a training officer and lived until 1984.

A Canadian opera on the sinking opens today.

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