The sinking of the Laconia
Discussion
Sorry but this is a tad late as it was a two parter on BBC2 thursday and Friday evening at 9pm. A joint venture between several tv companies it was the best drama i have sat thru for years.
It was the story of the Laconia which was sunk by a german u-boat. The commander then decided to go the humanitarian route and rescue the survivors. I won't say any more as it really was a fantastic compelling 3 hours of drama at it's finest.
Please look at it on i-player if you missed it.
There is also a programme this evening on BBC2 talking to the survivors.
Highly recomended.
It was the story of the Laconia which was sunk by a german u-boat. The commander then decided to go the humanitarian route and rescue the survivors. I won't say any more as it really was a fantastic compelling 3 hours of drama at it's finest.
Please look at it on i-player if you missed it.
There is also a programme this evening on BBC2 talking to the survivors.
Highly recomended.
I was surprised there wasn't a thread about this. It was quite superb. Just watched the short documentary with clips from survivors. A fascinating story.
Of course, don't forget, the BBC is s
te and stuff like this just shouldn't be made. Adverts and X factor and no licence fee is what the masses want.
Of course, don't forget, the BBC is s
te and stuff like this just shouldn't be made. Adverts and X factor and no licence fee is what the masses want.Edited by Balmoral Green on Saturday 8th January 20:08
Just watched the documentary too. Worthy of much more obvious billing than given.
This and the bear family program were great.
Maybe a bit of a leap but the hunter realising what the bears he shot were really like, and those affected by the war realising both sides were humans seemed linked.
Both programs highly educational. More please.
This and the bear family program were great.
Maybe a bit of a leap but the hunter realising what the bears he shot were really like, and those affected by the war realising both sides were humans seemed linked.
Both programs highly educational. More please.
Six Fiend said:
Can't believe the US airmen!
They've passed down their friendly-fire skills from generation to generation right up to the present day.Hollywood portrays the US Forces as a super force with super heroes and also as the UK's saviours in WW2, but talk to any UK servicemen past and present and you will find that they are generally regarded as a joke, a fact seconded by most other nation's armed forces.
The Laconia story is just one of thousands of actions perportrated by gung-ho idiotic US armed forces, including the many drink or drug fuelled US servicemen seen eg. in Vietnam, burning innocent villages to the ground whilst giggling their dope/heroin/lsd stoned heads off.
IIRC They have not won a war since WW2. Korea, Vietnam, Sierra Leonne etc etc have all resulted in embarrassing defeats, as well as Bin Laden taking them to the cleaners.
The US military are a joke, dangerous to all allied forces working alongside them (probably uncomfortably!)
GilbertGutbucket said:
Six Fiend said:
Can't believe the US airmen!
They've passed down their friendly-fire skills from generation to generation right up to the present day.Hollywood portrays the US Forces as a super force with super heroes and also as the UK's saviours in WW2, but talk to any UK servicemen past and present and you will find that they are generally regarded as a joke, a fact seconded by most other nation's armed forces.
The Laconia story is just one of thousands of actions perportrated by gung-ho idiotic US armed forces, including the many drink or drug fuelled US servicemen seen eg. in Vietnam, burning innocent villages to the ground whilst giggling their dope/heroin/lsd stoned heads off.
IIRC They have not won a war since WW2. Korea, Vietnam, Sierra Leonne etc etc have all resulted in embarrassing defeats, as well as Bin Laden taking them to the cleaners.
The US military are a joke, dangerous to all allied forces working alongside them (probably uncomfortably!)
I agree to a certain extent about the Americans being gung-ho and sometimes a liability, but it's a bit much to tar 3 million people (active and reserve) with the same brush.
As for the BBC programme, it was really very good, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
GilbertGutbucket said:
Six Fiend said:
Can't believe the US airmen!
They've passed down their friendly-fire skills from generation to generation right up to the present day.Hollywood portrays the US Forces as a super force with super heroes and also as the UK's saviours in WW2, but talk to any UK servicemen past and present and you will find that they are generally regarded as a joke, a fact seconded by most other nation's armed forces.
The Laconia story is just one of thousands of actions perportrated by gung-ho idiotic US armed forces, including the many drink or drug fuelled US servicemen seen eg. in Vietnam, burning innocent villages to the ground whilst giggling their dope/heroin/lsd stoned heads off.
IIRC They have not won a war since WW2. Korea, Vietnam, Sierra Leonne etc etc have all resulted in embarrassing defeats, as well as Bin Laden taking them to the cleaners.
The US military are a joke, dangerous to all allied forces working alongside them (probably uncomfortably!)
Loved the drama though, well done BBC!
The issue with the red cross though is not clear cut. Under Hague conventions hospital ships need to have identity declared and communicated, be painted white and show a Red Cross and not used other purposes. A military vessel, even if disabled, does not get automatic protection although practically it would have been. The attack was wrong, but also a military vessel using a Red Cross flag was wrong and no provision existed for temporary designation.
In my opinion USA were wrong to physically attack, but so were British in not giving all the information, who was the most wrong is debatable..
In my opinion USA were wrong to physically attack, but so were British in not giving all the information, who was the most wrong is debatable..
Finally watched it...wow
A very decent drama indeed, and nice to see the Germans and English as human for once. This turned the Hollywood version on it's head, the Yanks/Irish are usually saints in these things, whereas this time the ahole character was actually Irish and the English weren't gay/elitist/arrogant (save for the retarded officer at the end in the hut:~D)
A very decent drama indeed, and nice to see the Germans and English as human for once. This turned the Hollywood version on it's head, the Yanks/Irish are usually saints in these things, whereas this time the a
hole character was actually Irish and the English weren't gay/elitist/arrogant (save for the retarded officer at the end in the hut:~D)GilbertGutbucket said:
They've passed down their friendly-fire skills from generation to generation right up to the present day.
Hollywood portrays the US Forces as a super force with super heroes and also as the UK's saviours in WW2, but talk to any UK servicemen past and present and you will find that they are generally regarded as a joke, a fact seconded by most other nation's armed forces.
The Laconia story is just one of thousands of actions perportrated by gung-ho idiotic US armed forces, including the many drink or drug fuelled US servicemen seen eg. in Vietnam, burning innocent villages to the ground whilst giggling their dope/heroin/lsd stoned heads off.
IIRC They have not won a war since WW2. Korea, Vietnam, Sierra Leonne etc etc have all resulted in embarrassing defeats, as well as Bin Laden taking them to the cleaners.
The US military are a joke, dangerous to all allied forces working alongside them (probably uncomfortably!)
The only thing that is a joke is your post. As an ex-serviceman, I found them to be nothing but professional and courteous. They are not regarded as a joke by anyone in the know, but don't let your ill-informed nonsense get in the way of facts. I'll think you'll find the Viet Cong/NVA committed plenty of atrocities of their own in Vietnam and errrr...Sierra Leone??? WTF are you on about. Hollywood portrays the US Forces as a super force with super heroes and also as the UK's saviours in WW2, but talk to any UK servicemen past and present and you will find that they are generally regarded as a joke, a fact seconded by most other nation's armed forces.
The Laconia story is just one of thousands of actions perportrated by gung-ho idiotic US armed forces, including the many drink or drug fuelled US servicemen seen eg. in Vietnam, burning innocent villages to the ground whilst giggling their dope/heroin/lsd stoned heads off.
IIRC They have not won a war since WW2. Korea, Vietnam, Sierra Leonne etc etc have all resulted in embarrassing defeats, as well as Bin Laden taking them to the cleaners.
The US military are a joke, dangerous to all allied forces working alongside them (probably uncomfortably!)
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