Page "Laconia incident" Paragraph 16

The Laconia incident had far-reaching consequences.

Until then, as indicated in point # 1 of the " Laconia Order ", it was common for U-boats to assist torpedoed survivors with food, water, simple medical care for the wounded, and a compass bearing to the nearest landmass ; it was extremely rare for survivors to be brought on board as space on a U-boat was barely enough for its own crew.

Now Dönitz prohibited rescues ; survivors were to be left in the sea.

Even afterwards, U-boats would still occasionally provide aid for survivors.