Ger. POWs placed on board merchant ships as a deterrence to submarine attacks?

[Felix C]

Read where French placed Ger. POWs in some merchant ships in Med. voyages to deter Ger. submarine attacks. Did the British do similar? 

[2ndCMR]

Interesting, where did you read it?

We do know that French and Belgian civilians were used as human shields by advancing German troops in 1914, though to be fair, that probably wasn't a matter forseen by the Hague Convention.

[AOK4]

I have been in contact with someone whose father was indeed a German POW who was held deep inside a ship as a hostage so I know the story is true.

[Felix C]

I was reading about German Lieutenant Hyazinth von Strachwitz and his amazing reconnaissance patrol behind French lines; then went looking for career particulars and see where he was involved in four 1917 voyages-France-Africa-Greece in the hold of merchant vessel as a deterrent. Reads as his was not an isolated case.

Edited 10 February , 2018 by Felix C

[AOK4]

The use of German POWs is also mentioned in "The Naval War in the Mediterranean: 1914-1918" by Paul G. Halpern.

[horatio2]

Presumably the German submarines were informed which ship carried 'hostages', so that they would not attack them. Presumably the Germans were also informed that ships carried 'hostages', even if they were not carrying any, to protect the maxim,um number of ships from attack. Was there an international flag signal "I am carrying POWs as hostages, do not attack"? It all sounds a bit unlikely to me - too liable to bluff and counter-bluff.

Edited 10 February , 2018 by horatio2

[Felix C]

It was a French response for Ger. attacks on hospital ships which Ger. claimed were violating their safe conduct. Here is what I found

 70 German officers, including one general and 15 staff officers were placed in hospital ships used in the Mediterranean. The Ger. were advised 

Ger. responded by placing French POWs in areas subject to aerial bombardment. The Industrial region of the WF. 

Edited 11 February , 2018 by Felix C

[AOK4]

16 minutes ago, horatio2 said:

It all sounds a bit unlikely to me - too liable to bluff and counter-bluff.

 

It did happen. I should look into the correspondence I had with the son of a German who was used as a hostage POW.

[Felix C]

i see from reading a New York Times article that British ships and hospital ships in the Channel also carried Ger. wounded onboard and it is not stated they were hostages although this is 1917 news filtered through British censors. It sort of implies the news was intended to give the Ger. pause in torpedoing hospital ships which the Ger. had started to do after claiming early 1917 that they were misusing their safe conduct.

 

I am unfamiliar with hospital ships if any were in violation. 

Edited 10 February , 2018 by Felix C