Excellent shipmate
; and a most interesting history. IIRC, there was another famous operation involving a German sub that attempted to rescue a large number of crew fom sunk ships.
it was the tragedy connected to Laconia: she was carrying several Italian and German POWs from Egypt to UK and she was torpedoed by U156.
When was visible the number of persons to rescue the Commander sent a clear SOS and a white flag with red cross was shown on the deck.
The American airplanes from Ascension Island made first a recognition and the was ordered a bombing...
The U156 submerged slowly to give those still on the deck a chance to get into the water and escape...
Unaware of the attack, U-507, U-506 and the Italian submarine Cappellini arrived later and rescued few survivors...
After this comes the so called Laconia Order from Doenitz, which lead to his prosecution in Nuremberg Trial...
recently appeared a tv movie on this tragedy. I have he honor to know the last surviving man of Cappellini's crew: he commented that what shown in this movie is very very far from the real orrible situation that he has still in his eyes...