Vichy To The Rescue

THU 17 SEP 1942
Atlantic
Laconia Incident: In the wake of the attack by USAAF B-24 upon German submarines U-156, U-506 and U-507 and Italian submarine Capellini, engaged in rescuing survivors of the torpedoed British transport Laconia, Admiral Karl Doenitz issues orders forbidding U-boats from rescuing survivors of sunken ships (the "Laconia Order"). Vichy French light cruiser Gloire, sloop Dumont D'Urville and minesweeper Annamite rescue 1,041 people from lifeboats and the German submarines that have picked them up, too.

U.S. freighter Mae is torpedoed, shelled and sunk by German submarine U-515 approximately 41 miles north of Georgetown, British Guiana, 08°03'N, 58°13'W; one crewman is killed. Norwegian merchantman Sorwangen rescues the 31 surviving merchant crewmen and the nine-man Armed Guard, and transfers them to Canadian merchantman Gypsum King, which takes them to Georgetown.