In einer Randnotiz fanden Rettungsboote beider Seiten Erwähnung, sowie Fischer, die während der Kurbelei auf eigene Faust losgefahren seien, um Besatzungen zu retten. Im Wasser treibend sei es kein grosser Unterschied gewesen; gerettete Luftwaffenangehörige seien von der RAF, abgeschossene Engländer zuweilen von der Luftwaffe geborgen worden. Von wenigen Scharmützeln abgesehen sei das ja auch verständlich gewesen.
Randnotiz zur (selbst-)verständlichen "Fairness":
die "Herren" Jäger der RAF schossen m.W. regelmäßig als solche deutlich gekennzeichnete deutsche Seenotflugzeuge ab; vorgegebene Begründung: gerettete deutsche Flieger nehmen wieder am Kampf teil.
Gruß, Urs
Aus der Erinnerung: m.W. waren Seenotflugzeuge nicht durch irgendwelche Regeln geschuetzt. Es gab wohl eine recht hoch angesiedelte Entscheidung (Churchill?) diese Flugzeuge als Feindflugzeuge zu behandeln, und die Piloten der RAF waren damit dazu verpflichtet diese anzugreifen.
Diese Entscheidung ist nicht unumstritten, wenn ich mich recht entsinne ist z.B. der Autor Peter Smith der Ansicht das es nicht gerade Gentlemanlike war.
Auf der anderen Seite:
The Luftwaffe was mis-using the Red Cross symbol when it painted them on its SAR aircraft, because the 1929 Geneva Convention, Art. 18 states that Aircraft used as means of medical transport shall enjoy the protection of the Convention during the period in which they are reserved exclusively for the evacuation of wounded and sick and the transport of medical personnel and material.
Seeing that they were being used to rescue unwounded aircrew, the convention doesn't apply to these aircraft.
Also the convention states that,
In the absence of special and express permission, flying over the firing line, and over the zone situated in front of clearing or dressing stations, and generally over all enemy territory or territory occupied by the enemy, is prohibited.
They were flying over disputed territory, they needed the RAF's express permission , but they never applied for that permission.
In fact, the British government gave official warning to the Luftwaffe in a Communiqué issued by the Royal Air Force on July 14th 1940
"Enemy aircraft bearing civil markings and marked with the Red Cross have recently flown over British ships at sea and in the vicinity of the British coast, and they are being employed for purposes which His Majesty's Government cannot regard as being consistent with the privileges generally accorded to the Red Cross.
His Majesty's Government desire to accord to ambulance aircraft reasonable facilities for the transportation of the sick and wounded, in accordance with the Red Cross Convention, and aircraft engaged in the direct evacuation of the sick and wounded will be respected, provided that they comply with the relevant provisions of the Convention.
His Majesty's Government are unable, however, to grant immunity to such aircraft flying over areas in which operations are in progress on land or at sea, or approaching British or Allied territory, or territory in British occupation, or British or Allied ships.
Ambulance aircraft which do not comply with the above requirements will do so at their own risk and peril. "
So the use of the Red Cross by the Luftwaffe in the SAR role was an illegal use of the symbol, and the RAF was fully within its rights according to the terms of the 1929 Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field, to shoot down these aircraft.
http://forum.axishistory....topic.php?f=6&t=77953Alles Gute
Andreas
