Derek Nudd's Blog - Posts Tagged "u-boat"

Australian hospital ship Centaur: The myth of immunity by Christopher Milligan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Who sank a correctly marked and brightly lit hospital ship on a clear, calm night in May 1943? Why? How did it founder in just three minutes? How come, when the disaster was so close to shore, it took so long for anyone to notice?
The authors take a forensic approach to the multiple questions surrounding the death of the Centaur, examining the history of the ship, her crew, cargo and passengers, and the Japanese submarine flotilla operating in the area. They look at - and dismiss - alternative speculations about her sudden loss and examine the three possible culprits, settling convincingly on one.
As to why, after years of post-war obfuscation we may never know for sure. Mistake, under the circumstances, is implausible. Was there a revenge motive? Did the submarine captain think she was carrying combat troops and/or munitions? Did he simply not care? The authors have interviewed everyone they can trace and who will speak to them.
Other Allied, Axis and Imperial German incidents involving hospital ships are acknowledged. In some cases a little more information (with references) would have been useful but the inclusion provides valuable context.
The book is well written and contains several useful plate sections.



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