List of hospital ships sunk in World War I

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Llandovery Castle was hit with a torpedo from German U-boat U-86 on 27 June 1918. The U-boat then opened fire on the survivors. Victory bonds (Llandovery Castle).jpg
Llandovery Castle was hit with a torpedo from German U-boat U-86 on 27 June 1918. The U-boat then opened fire on the survivors.

During the First World War, many hospital ships were attacked, sometimes deliberately and sometimes as a result of mistaken identity. They were sunk by either torpedo, mine or surface attack. They were easy targets, since they carried hundreds of wounded soldiers from the front lines.

Contents

Background

A hospital ship (HS) is designated for primary function as a medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces or navies of various countries around the world, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. [1] Hospital ships were covered under the Hague Convention X of 1907. [2] Article four of the Hague Convention X outlined the restrictions for a hospital ship:

If any of the restrictions were violated, the ship could be determined as an enemy combatant and be sunk. Investigators from neutral countries like Spain were allowed to inspect hospital ships to confirm that Article Four wasn't being violated. [3]

The high command of Imperial German viewed Allied hospital ships as violating the Hague Convention and ordered its submarine forces to target them as part of their Unrestricted submarine warfare on Allied shipping. [4] Even with the inspections from neutral countries the German High command alleged that hospital ships were violating Article Four by transporting able-bodied soldiers to the battleground. [4] The biggest hospital ship sunk by either mine or torpedo in the First World War was Britannic, the sister of Olympic and the ill-fated Titanic. Britannic hit a mine on November 21, 1916; 30 people were killed, but the rest of the crew and passengers were able to escape. [5] The largest loss of life caused by the sinking of a hospital ship would be Llandovery Castle. The ship was hit by a torpedo from the German U-boat U-86 on June 27, 1918. Shortly thereafter, the submarine surfaced and gunned down most of the survivors; only 24 were rescued. [6] After the war, the captain of U-86, Lieutenant Helmut Patzig, and two of his lieutenants were charged with war crimes and arraigned at the Leipzig war crimes trials, but Patzig disappeared, and the two lieutenants both escaped after being convicted and sentenced to prison. [7] The Allies weren't the only ones who had their ships attacked at the beginning of the war, the German hospital ship Ophelia was seized by British naval forces as a spy ship [8] and near the close of the war the Austrian hospital ship Baron Call was unsuccessfully attacked by torpedo on October 29, 1918. [9]

Hospital ships sunk

NameImageNationalityDateLocation of wreckCauseLives lostNote
HMHS Anglia HMHS Anglia.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 17 November 1915One mile east of Folkestone GateStruck mine that had been laid by German U-boat UC-5 134 [10]
HMHS Asturias HMHS Asturias.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK20 March 19176 miles off Start Point [A 1] Torpedoed by German U-boat UC-66 35 [11]

[12] [13] [14]

HMHS Huntley [A 2] SS Ophelia.JPG Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK21 December 1915.75 miles (1.21 km) off the Boulogne LV.Torpedoed by German U-boat UB-10 2 [15] [16]
HMHS Britannic HMHS Britannic.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK 21 November 1916Aegean sea 37°42′05″N24°17′02″E / 37.70139°N 24.28389°E / 37.70139; 24.28389 Struck a mine laid by a German U-boat U-73 30 [5]
HMHS Dover Castle HMHS Dover Castle.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK26 May 1917Mediterranean Sea 37°45′00″N007°45′00″E / 37.75000°N 7.75000°E / 37.75000; 7.75000 Torpedoed by German U-boat UC-67 7 [17]
HMHS Donegal SS Donegal postcard.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK17 April 191719 miles south of the Dean lightship on passage Le Havre for Southampton 50°26′00″N01°00′00″W / 50.43333°N 1.00000°W / 50.43333; -1.00000 Torpedoed by German U-boat UC-21 40 [18]

[19] [20] [21]

HS Elektra HS Elektra.JPG Ensign of Austro-Hungarian civil fleet (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary18 March 1916Off Cape Planka Torpedoed by French submarine Ampère. Out of service until early Sep 1916; returned to her owner 04 Dec 19162 [22] [23]
HMHS Galeka Steamer Galeka.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK28 October 1916French coast, near Le Havre 49°34′01″N000°05′05″E / 49.56694°N 0.08472°E / 49.56694; 0.08472 Struck a mine laid by UC-26 19 [24]
HMHS Glenart Castle HS Glenart Castle torpedoed and sunk 26.02.1918.JPG Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK26 February 1918Bristol Channel 51°07′00″N005°03′00″W / 51.11667°N 5.05000°W / 51.11667; -5.05000 [A 3] Torpedoed by German U-boat UC-56 162 [25]
HMHS Gloucester Castle SS Gloucester Castle.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK30 March 1917en route from Le Havre to Southampton [A 4] Torpedoed by German U-boat U-32 3 [26]
HS Koningin Regentes HS Koningin Regentes.jpg Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands06 June 191821 miles East of Leman lightshipTorpedoed by German U-boat UB-107 7 [27]

[28] [29]

HMHS Lanfranc HMHS Lanfranc.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK17 April 1917English Channel 50°09′00″N000°10′04″W / 50.15000°N 0.16778°W / 50.15000; -0.16778 Torpedoed by German U-boat UB-40 40 [30]
HMHS Letitia HMHS Letitia.jpg Canadian Red Ensign 1868-1921.svg Canada 1 August 1917Portuguese Cove, Halifax HarbourGrounded out due to a pilot error in heavy fog1 [31]

[32]

HMHS Llandovery Castle HMHS Llandovery Castle.jpg Canadian Red Ensign 1868-1921.svg Canada 27 June 1918off southern Ireland 51°18′00″N009°54′00″W / 51.30000°N 9.90000°W / 51.30000; -9.90000 Torpedoed by German U-boat U-86 234 [6]
HS Marechiaro Marechiaro.JPG Naval Ensign of Italy.svg Italy21 February 1916Off Cape Laghi, Durazzo, Albania Struck a mine laid by German U-boat UC-12 33 [33]
HS Oceania Ensign of Austro-Hungarian civil fleet (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary04 October 1918Between Cape Rodoni and DurazzoMined and beached near Cape Rondoni, and on October 15, 1918 was blown up by the Austrians to avoid falling into Italian hands. ? [22] [34]
HS Portugal (Португаль) Portugal as hospital ship.jpg Naval Ensign of Russia.svg Russia
(French crew, Russian medical staff)		March 30 [ O.S. March 17] 1916Near Rize Province off the Turkish coast in the Black Sea Torpedoed by German U-boat U-33 [A 5] 90 [35]
HMHS Rewa WW1 HSRewa built 1906 sunk 1918.JPG Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK4 January 191813 miles off Hartland Point, UK 50°55′00″N004°49′00″W / 50.91667°N 4.81667°W / 50.91667; -4.81667 Torpedoed by German U-boat U-55 4 [36]
HMHS Rohilla SS Rohilla, Port-Said.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK30 October 1914Saltwick Nab, one mile south of Whitby Struck Whitby Rock84 [37]

[38] [39]

HMHS Salta HMHS Salta.jpg Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg UK10 April 1917near Le Havre, France 49°32′08″N00°02′18″W / 49.53556°N 0.03833°W / 49.53556; -0.03833 Struck a mine laid by German U-boat UC-26 130 [40]
HS Tabora HS Tabora.jpg Flag of the German Empire.svg German Empire26 March 1916 Dar es Salaam harbour, East AfricaSunk by gunfire from the British warships HMS Vengeance and HMS Challenger  ? [41] [42]

[43]

HS Tirol HS Tirol.jpg Ensign of Austro-Hungarian civil fleet (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary16 April 1916Off DurazzoMined. Returned to service 07 Oct 191640 [22]
HS Vpered (Вперёд) [A 6] Vpered.jpg Naval Ensign of Russia.svg Imperial Russia 8 July 1916In the Black Sea, between Batoum and the Rize Province off the Turkish coastTorpedoed by German U-boat U-38 [A 7] 7 [44] [45] [46]
HMAT Warilda HMAT Warilda - World War I - side view.jpg Flag of Australia.svg Australia 3 August 1918English Channel 50°12′08″N000°16′4″W / 50.20222°N 0.26778°W / 50.20222; -0.26778 Torpedoed by German U-boat UC-49 123 [47]
Hospital ships had emblems like Red Cross Flag of the Red Cross.svg
Hospital ships had emblems like Red Cross
Hospital ships had emblems like Red Crescents Flag of the Red Crescent.svg
Hospital ships had emblems like Red Crescents

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Asturias" was beached near Bolt Head, but the damage was so extensive that she was declared a total loss. The government then bought and salvaged her, and she became a floating ammunition hulk at Plymouth for two years.
  2. ↑ Formerly known as the German hospital ship Ophelia, seized by the British and changed to Huntley
  3. ↑ Glenart Castle hit a mine between Harve & Southampton on January 3, 1917 but did not sink and was able to make it to port for repairs
  4. ↑ Ship was raised, salvaged and returned to service in 1919; in the Second World War she was sunk by Michel in 1942
  5. ↑ 1916 New York Times article claims that it was sunk by a Turkish sub
  6. ↑ Also transcribed as Vperiode, Vperyod, or Vperiod, sometimes mistranscribed with an l instead of i
  7. ↑ 1916 New York Times article claims that it was sunk by a Turkish sub

Related Research Articles

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SM <i>U-55</i> German U-Boat, known for sinking RMS Carpathia

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References

  1. ↑ "Hospital Ships". Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Convention for the adaptation to maritime war of the principles of the Geneva Convention". Yale University. October 18, 1907. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  3. ↑ R.H. Gibson, Maurice Prendergast (November 2002). The German Submarine War 1914-1918 (2002 ed.). Periscope Publishing Ltd. pp. 285, 438. ISBN   1-904381-08-1.
  4. 1 2 Crispin Sadler and Wayne Abbott (2006). "Deep Wreck Mysteries - Red Cross Outrage". History Television. Archived from the original (TV Show) on August 31, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  5. 1 2 "Britannic". Public Broadcasting Service. 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  6. 1 2 Marc Leroux (2008). "The sinking of the Canadian Hospital Ship". Canadian Great War Project. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  7. ↑ pg 312 - R.H. Gibson, Maurice Prendergast (November 2002). The German Submarine War 1914-1918 (2002 ed.). Periscope Publishing Ltd. p. 312. ISBN   1-904381-08-1.
  8. ↑ "Hold German Hospital Ship" (PDF). The New York Times . May 22, 1915. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  9. ↑ John Beech (2004). "AH Navy". coventry.ac.uk. Archived from the original on April 28, 2006. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
  10. ↑ "British Hospital Ship sunk, 85 lost". The New York Times . November 18, 1915. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
  11. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Asturias". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  12. ↑ "31 ON HOSPITAL SHIP KILLED BY U-BOAT". The New York Times . Mar 27, 1917. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  13. ↑ "HMHS Asturias". roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  14. ↑ The war on hospital ships, with narratives of eyewitnesses, and British and German diplomatic correspondence (1918) (1918 ed.). New York and London : Harper & brothers. 1917. pp.  14–15. - Call number: SRLF_UCSB:LAGE-315170
  15. ↑ "Kirsten – The Fleets". The Ships List. 2009. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  16. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Huntly". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  17. ↑ "HMHS Dover Castle (+1917)". wrecksite. 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  18. ↑ "SS Donegal (+1917)". wrecksite. 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  19. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Donegal". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  20. ↑ "SS Donegal". clydesite.co.uk. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. ↑ "U-BOATS DESTROY 2 HOSPITAL SHIPS". The New York Times . April 22, 1917. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  22. 1 2 3 "AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN HOSPITAL SHIPS OF WORLD WAR I". jeffdonofrio.net. 2012. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  23. ↑ "TEUTON HOSPITAL SHIP SUNK IN THE ADRIATIC" (PDF). The New York Times. March 20, 1916. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  24. ↑ Marc Leroux (2008). "SS Galeka (+1916)". wrecksite. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  25. ↑ "Hospital Ship Sunk by a U-Boat" (PDF). The New York Times . February 28, 1918. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  26. ↑ "Union Line and Castle Lines". merchantnavyofficers.com. 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  27. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Koningin Regentes". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  28. ↑ "PSS Koningin Regentes (+1918)". wrecksite. 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  29. ↑ "PSS Koningin Regentes [+1918]". wrecksite.eu. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  30. ↑ "Booth Line's S.S. "Lanfranc" 2". bluestarline.org. September 25, 2005. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
  31. ↑ "Letitia - 1917". museum.gov.ns.ca. 2011. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  32. ↑ "SS Letitia". wrecksite. 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  33. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Marechiaro". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved August 29, 2009.
  34. ↑ "Ships used in Immigration". jeffdonofrio.net. 2012. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  35. ↑ The War on hospital ships, from the narratives of eye-witnesses (1917) (1917 ed.). London : T. Fisher Unwin. 1917. p.  1. - Call number: SRLF_UCLA:LAGE-3563453
  36. ↑ "War of the U-Boats" (PDF). The New York Times. July 28, 1918. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  37. ↑ "SS Rohilla (+1914)". wrecksite. 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  38. ↑ "Rohilla". merchantnavyofficers.com. 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  39. ↑ "HMHS Rohilla". roll-of-honour.com. 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  40. ↑ Leroux, Marc (2008). "HMS Salta". union-castle.net. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  41. ↑ Schnee 2018 , p. 199
  42. ↑ "Kaiserliche Marine 1916" (in German). deutsche-schutzgebiete.de. 2000. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  43. ↑ "SS Tabora (+1914)". wrecksite. 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  44. ↑ The war on hospital ships, with narratives of eyewitnesses, and British and German diplomatic correspondence (1918) (1918 ed.). New York and London : Harper & brothers. 1917. p.  11. - Call number: SRLF_UCSB:LAGE-315170
  45. ↑ "Peace Movement Diverts Attention at Year's End from Battlefields to Chancelleries of Belligerents and Principal Neutral Capitals" (PDF). The New York Times . December 31, 1916. Retrieved August 24, 2009.
  46. ↑ П.Г.Усенко (P.G.Usenko), IСТОРIЇ ВЕЛИКОЇ ВIЙНИ 1914–1917 рр. НА ЧОРНОМУ МОРI [ permanent dead link ] (From the history of the Great War of the 1914-1917 on the Black Sea). Page 80. (in Ukrainian)
  47. ↑ "Wounded drown at night". The New York Times . Aug 6, 1918. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
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