Wednesday, September 16, 1942. Unintended consequences.

The U-156 and U-507 picking up the survivors from the Laconia.

A United States Army Air Force B-24 attacked the U-156 while survivors of the Laconia were on the foredeck.  The U-156 dove, leaving the survivors abandoned at sea, although later German U-boats surface and try to recover the survivors.  Karl Donitz thereafter issued the following order:

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 captains and chief engineers stay in effect.
3. Survivors are to be saved only if their statements are important for the boat.
4. Be harsh. Remember that the enemy has no regard for women and children when bombing German cities!

On the same day, the Germans penetrated the northwest suburbs of Stalingrad.

The Communist Albanian National Liberation Movement was founded.