Question Did the Germans really sink hospital ships in both World Wars?

[Dan Kappes]

The Britannic struck a mine, but has there been other documented reports of German planes and submarines sinking other hospital ships with torpedoes and bombs?

I ask this question because I've recently watched the 2017 film Dunkirk, and a hospital ship is attacked and sunk at the beginning of it.

Did the Germans really do this, by accident or on purpose? It seems extremely heartless to me if it was intentional.

 

[Aaron_2016]

Here is a list of hospital ships sunk in both world wars.

List of hospital ships sunk in World War I - Wikipedia

List of hospital ships sunk in World War II - Wikipedia

 

[Harland Duzen]

In terms of Dunkirk (the event) I've heard that only one hospital ship was sunk while in the English Channel. It was the HMHS Paris* (1913) which was crippled after an aerial attack and sank the next day after the survivors of the bombing were transferred to other boats.

The film's version of it was slightly dramatised but in the film's book by Joshua Levine (a historical consultant for the film) he does mention one or two times where the germans did shoot or bomb hospital ships as they retreated.

Back to topic!

*Steam Turbine PARIS built by William Denny & Bros in 1913 for London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Co, London, Passenger

 

[Dan Kappes]

Yeah, that Wikipedia article did mention that they were sunk by accident and deliberately.