This Day in History: 1942-09-12

Battle of Edson’s Ridge begins at Guadalcanal.  Free-Poland & Belgium asks Pope to condemn Nazi-war crimes.  A German U Boat off West Africa torpedoed the RMS Laconia, which was carrying Italian prisoners of war, British soldiers and civilians.  It is estimated that 1,600 people died while some 1,100 survived after the ship sank.  The German U boat crew began rescue operations.  (On September 16th, the rescue efforts came to an abrupt halt when the Germans were attacked by a U.S. Army bomber; as a result, U boat commanders were ordered to no longer rescue civilian survivors of submarine attacks.)