Bombing of hospital ships

[Andy H]

Whilst under the colours of a hospital ship she was attacked twice by a German bomber when embarking wounded from the Sicily landings. Holed by way of number four hold Talamba began to sink but not before all the wounded had been evacuated by other ships one of which was her sister Tairea

http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/Troopships2.html

[Andy H]

His Majesties Hospital Ship Newfoundland spent the first years of the Second World War sailing backwards and forwards across the Atlantic Ocean between the U.K. and Canada carrying the wounded out and bringing the rehabilitated troops back. She usually sailed between Liverpool and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

She was a large ship. Entirely painted in white except for large red crosses painted amidships and on the funnel. At night she sailed with all her lights on so that enemy submarines and aircraft would be able to tell that she was a non-combatant and therefore protected by the Geneva Convention.

She was commanded by Captain John Eric Wilson O.B.E.

Sister Dorothy Mary Cole of the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (Q.A.I.M.N.S.) joined HMHS Newfoundland in 1941 and soon settled down into the routine. Occasionally they were tasked to go to the South Atlantic and on one of these voyages she and her colleagues witnessed an oil tanker being torpedoed.

In September 1943, the Allies invaded Italy and HMHS Newfoundland was assigned as a hospital ship to the 8th Army. The HMHS Newfoundland was one of 2 hospital ships that had been sent to Salerno Beaches on 12th September, where they were to deliver 103 American nurses. There were only 2 patients on board so it was quiet for all the nurses and doctors on board. That evening there was a party held in honour of the American Nursing Corps and after this Dorothy and another Sister named Vera Schofield showed some of the American Sisters around the operating theatre on board the Newfoundland. Although the Americans had not been on board for very long they had made firm friends with the British nurses.

The Luftwaffe had already attacked the Newfoundland twice that day. The first occasion they were anchored with another hospital ship when they were dive-bombed. All the bombs missed although one landed between the 2 ships. A few hours after this incident they were dive bombed again. A third hospital ship had joined them and the bombs fell all around and amongst them. After this incident a decision was made to move further out to sea and anchor for the night. The 3 hospital ships were joined by a 4th and about 40 miles off the Salerno Beaches they all anchored for the night. They were all lit up like Christmas Trees to highlight the fact that they were hospital ships.

Around about 5 o’clock in the morning of the 13th September, a single aircraft was heard and Captain Wilson, who was on the bridge heard a bomb falling. It was thought to be an aerial mine and it landed on HMHS Newfoundland on the boat deck behind the bridge. It caused a large amount of damage. The communications were lost and more importantly the fire fighting equipment was completely shattered.

Fire immediately took hold.

The surviving British nurses and all the American sisters went straight to their stations in the smoke and flames and waited to be told what to do. There was another explosion and it became clear that the oil tanks had also caught fire so the order was given to abandon ship.

The survivors took to the lifeboats. The 2nd Officer who had a broken leg, a broken arm and splinter wounds took command of a lifeboat full of nurses

Meanwhile Captain Wilson and 17 volunteers stayed behind to fight the fire. They were soon assisted by USS Mayo who put a party on board and together they spent around 36 hours trying to put out the fires and search for survivors. They did not succeed and the ship was declared beyond all hope of recovery. Those on board were taken off and HMHS Newfoundland had to be sunk by USS Plunkett.

Of the 14 British staff nurses on board, 6 had been killed including Dorothy Cole. She was aged 29. All the medical officers too had been killed.

Vera Schofield survived as did all the American nurses.

The reason or motive for the Luftwaffe had for attacking HMHS Newfoundland has never been known. One theory has been put forward that the American nurses were mistaken for troops because of their green uniforms and maybe the Luftwaffe believed that the hospital ship was being used as a troop ship.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stor ... 2171.shtml

The Germans, however, quickly regrouped for a stubborn defense that pinned the Allied forces in the beachhead and Cisterna for four months and stalled hopes for a rapid advance. Within the congested invasion perimeter, casualties mounted as the Allies repulsed persistent Luftwaffe and ground attacks.
The 33d Field Hospital and the 95th and 96th Evacuation Hospitals landed with the Anzio beachhead assault force and quickly set up operations. Approximately two hundred nurses were assigned to these units. On 24 January 1944, two days after the landing, the first bombs fell near the medical facilities. That night three British hospital ships, H.M.S. St. David, H.M.S. St. Andrew, and H.M.S. Leinster, were attacked by Luftwaffe aircraft while evacuating casualties from the beachhead.

As in the case of the sinking of the Hospital Ship Newfoundland, the ships were well lighted and clearly marked with the red cross. The St. David, with 226 medical staff and patients aboard, received a direct hit and sank.
The two Army nurses on board were among 130 survivors rescued by the damaged Leinster. One of these nurses, 2d Lt. Ruth Hindman, had survived the earlier bombing of the Newfoundland.

http://darbysrangers.tripod.com/id76.htm

Regards

Andy H

[Markus Becker]

Missed the Stukas part. Age has weakened my eyesight. Thanks for pointing that out.

Then, one could ask were the DYNAMO hospital ships used for legimate purposes? Were first line healthy troops carried out to the ships along with the wounded?

Was there anything to lead the Germans to believe that the hospital ships really weren't hospital ships but ersatz troop transports?

You see what you expect to see. On Dec 7th american AA-gunners "saw" airplanes with swastikas over Pearl Harbour. Now imagine flying at 10,000+feet, AA-bursts around you, ships and shore installations on fire, smoke drifting around.

[Andy H]

Missed the Stukas part. Age has weakened my eyesight. Thanks for pointing that out.

Then, one could ask were the DYNAMO hospital ships used for legimate purposes? Were first line healthy troops carried out to the ships along with the wounded?

Was there anything to lead the Germans to believe that the hospital ships really weren't hospital ships but ersatz troop transports?

You see what you expect to see. On Dec 7th american AA-gunners "saw" airplanes with swastikas over Pearl Harbour. Now imagine flying at 10,000+feet, AA-bursts around you, ships and shore installations on fire, smoke drifting around.

Agreed but does that also apply do dive bombers of whatever nation, zeroing on a clearly marked hospital ship!

Regards

Andy H

[David Thompson]

For the distinctive markings required on hospital ships (all white, with a 1 1/2 meter horizontal band of red or green paint)), see Article 5 of the 1899 Hague III Convention at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/lawof ... 3.htm#art5

For an example of the required markings, see the photo at http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 65#1101965

[tonyh]

Missed the Stukas part. Age has weakened my eyesight. Thanks for pointing that out.

Then, one could ask were the DYNAMO hospital ships used for legimate purposes? Were first line healthy troops carried out to the ships along with the wounded?

Was there anything to lead the Germans to believe that the hospital ships really weren't hospital ships but ersatz troop transports?

You see what you expect to see. On Dec 7th american AA-gunners "saw" airplanes with swastikas over Pearl Harbour. Now imagine flying at 10,000+feet, AA-bursts around you, ships and shore installations on fire, smoke drifting around.

Agreed but does that also apply do dive bombers of whatever nation, zeroing on a clearly marked hospital ship!

Regards

Andy H

Depends. Dive bombers (well Stukas anyway) cruise to target at around 15.000 ft. Once the dive is in effect and a marked hospital ship becomes clearer, how easy is it to pull out of a dive with a full bomb load without ripping the wings off the aircraft?

Tony

[Andy H]

Missed the Stukas part. Age has weakened my eyesight. Thanks for pointing that out.

Then, one could ask were the DYNAMO hospital ships used for legimate purposes? Were first line healthy troops carried out to the ships along with the wounded?

Was there anything to lead the Germans to believe that the hospital ships really weren't hospital ships but ersatz troop transports?

You see what you expect to see. On Dec 7th american AA-gunners "saw" airplanes with swastikas over Pearl Harbour. Now imagine flying at 10,000+feet, AA-bursts around you, ships and shore installations on fire, smoke drifting around.

Agreed but does that also apply do dive bombers of whatever nation, zeroing on a clearly marked hospital ship!

Regards

Andy H

Depends. Dive bombers (well Stukas anyway) cruise to target at around 15.000 ft. Once the dive is in effect and a marked hospital ship becomes clearer, how easy is it to pull out of a dive with a full bomb load without ripping the wings off the aircraft?

Tony

Hi Tony

Interesting question. At what height or distance is the Red/Green crosses (as described by David) actually distinctive enough to know that you are bombing a hospital ship? Also I would imagine that a dive bomber can at least aim his bomb away whilst in the dive process?

Regards

Andy H

[tonyh]

Well, it would depend on a number of weather conditions. Light coloured ships (and aircraft for that matter) are very difficult to distinguish in all but the most ideal conditions. I'm sure on a clear day, the red cross markings would be visible from a considerable distance, assuming that the red crosses are pointing towards the air and not simply marked on the side of a ship. But from 15.000 ft (and that's a medium altitude) when you choose your target, making a distinction between a cargo ship and a hospital ship would be very difficult indeed. This difficulty is increased when the ship is simply flying a red cross flag, with no other form of marking.

I doubt that there would be many people on any side that would deliberately pick out a hospital ship for attack though. Many people have the ability to place themselves in the situation of the people that are being attacked and would find such notions abhorrent. In general, I believe most airforces and naval forces regarded the sinking of such vehicles as a "dirtier" victory than the normal targets of war.

The sinking of hospital ships was viewed as very bad form among the Uboatwaffe. I'd imagine the Luftwaffe had similar views.

Of course, that doesn't rule out the people who possessed a "fuck 'em" attitude and were eager to attack anything in the vicinity.

Tony

[Luca]

During the encircle of Danzig the zone was full of civil refugees that escape from the russian liberation. Also the very big pow camp was full of prisoniers of all the nationality. Several ships overcharged of peoples with clear hospital marks exit in sea several days for the evacuation of the great number of germans, civils and prisoniers woundeds. All was bombed from russian airplanes that in the last period of the encircle no have any Luftwaffen airplane opponents in the sky. No one ships was saved and all was sink in the sea. No one ship was bombed in the harbour, the bomb attaks wait that the ships was with full charge of peoples and all attaks was when the hospital ships exit from the harbour of Danzig.

Luca

[Andy H]

The hospital ship Atlatntis alone was bombed no fewer than five times in
Norwegian waters. The only sinking was that of the hospital
carrier Paris on June 2, which succumbed to three separate waves
of attack by bomber aircraft. The hospital carrier Briglhtont was
holed and run aground; the hospital carrier Maid of Kentt set
on fire.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/issue_pdf/admin_pdf/1/4145.pdf

Well maybe one can accept one myopic bomber pilot, but the Atlantis was bombed 5 times whilst the Paris was sunk after 3 waves of attacks by bombers.

Regards

Andy H

[Andy H]

Markus Becker wrote:

I just found out german hospital ships "Alexander von Humboldt", "Erlangen", "Hüxter", "Innsbruck", "Meteor", "Monte Olivia", "Pitea", "Posen", "Rostock", "Stuttgart", "Tübingen" were sunk by allied air raids

It seems that these vessels were lost in the main near the wars end and whilst in port where they were not specifically targeted but within the larger target area of an Allied air raid!

Regards

Andy H

[JamesL]

Another incident at Anzio.

12 February – Another catastrophe comparable to the earlier bombing of the hospital was reported today. This time the 56th Evac. Hosp. became the target of old ‘Polumbo’. In contacting the Germans by short wave and reporting the incident, this was the answer received.
“We are awfully sorry. You knocked our gun out today and we are zeroing in a new one.”
Using a hospital as a long range observer to find ones target isn’t very fair in any man’s war.

Source: Comment from the War Diary, 815th Engineer Battalion (USAAF), Anzio-Nettuno, Italy. Jan-May 1944.

[murx]

Not to forget the Lusitania was a British ship which according to the German Uboat commanders were equipped with light artillery, had been ordered and practiced to ram German submarines and carried contrabande. British propaganda called the sinking "the greatest crime commited in the history of mankind" and accused all Germans to have organized huge celebrations and drinking parties to commemorate their success.
British propaganda always was too generous with some superlatives.

The complete collection for dowbnload ("Lusitania" is in "Murder at the sea"):

http://ersterweltkrieg.wordpress.com/kr ... ropaganda/


Concerning "SAR": At least today SAR flyers are equipped with paramedics and some also with physicians. At least I was working as a physician on a SAR helicopter. To label them as taxi services is not understanbdable. How can anyone know what is waiting in the sea? Sometimes people are less injured but sometimkes very severe. Should that be displayed on the outside? BTW: SARs are unarmed and rescue civilians and enemies too. The taxi-misunderstanding originates from the American "scoop-and-run"-emergency-system. The Europeans call theirs: "Stay and play" whhich is completely different.

Another comment: It is not heroic to bomb a red cross ship. As I read above the crosses were painted on both sides. To avoid attacks from the air I would have added one on top.

[PFLB]

Some had a red cross on their deck, but the superstructure of ships of that era did not usually have many flush surfaces. For example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Refuge_AH11.jpg

[Sunbury]

Not to forget the Lusitania was a British ship which according to the German Uboat commanders were equipped with light artillery, had been ordered and practiced to ram German submarines and carried contrabande. British propaganda called the sinking "the greatest crime commited in the history of mankind" and accused all Germans to have organized huge celebrations and drinking parties to commemorate their success.
British propaganda always was too generous with some superlatives.

The complete collection for dowbnload ("Lusitania" is in "Murder at the sea"):

http://ersterweltkrieg.wordpress.com/kr ... ropaganda/

There is much mythology and outright distortions about the Lusitania. So few sadly seek out primary source documents of the event. Just to correct the above, here is a link to President Woodrow's response to Germanys excuses.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/lus ... rotest.htm
I will copy a small piece.

Your Excellency's note, in discussing the loss of American lives resulting from the sinking of the steamship Lusitania, adverts at some length to certain information which the Imperial German Government has received with regard to the character and outfit of that vessel, and your Excellency expresses the fear that this information may not have been brought to the attention of the Government of the United States.

It is stated in the note that the Lusitania was undoubtedly equipped with masked guns, supplied with trained gunners and special ammunition, transporting troops from Canada, carrying a cargo not permitted under the laws of the United States to a vessel also carrying passengers, and serving, in virtual effect, as an auxiliary to the naval forces of Great Britain.

Fortunately these are matters concerning which the Government of the United States is in a position to give the Imperial German Government official information. Of the facts alleged in your Excellency's note, if true, the Government of the United States would have been bound to take official cognizance in performing its recognized duty as a neutral power and in enforcing its national laws.

It was its duty to see to it that the Lusitania was not armed for offensive action, that she was not serving as a transport, that she did not carry a cargo prohibited by the statutes of the United States, and that, if in fact she was a naval vessel of Great Britain, she should not receive clearance as a merchantman; and it performed that duty and enforced its statutes with scrupulous vigilance through its regularly constituted officials.

The Third note by President Wilson, the gloves came off
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/lus ... rotest.htm

In view of the admission of illegality made by the Imperial Government when it pleaded the right of retaliation in defence of its acts, and in view of the manifest possibility of conforming to the established rules of naval warfare, the Government of the United States can not believe that the Imperial Government will longer refrain from disavowing the wanton act of its naval commander in sinking the Lusitania or from offering reparation for the American lives lost, so far as reparation can be made for a needless destruction of human life by an illegal act.