Plot Synopsis

Inspired by real events, THE SINKING OF THE LACONIA tells the story of Allied ship Laconia that was sunk in WWII by a German U-Boat, which then surfaced against orders to rescue Laconia's civilian crew. On September 12, 1942, German submarine U-156 commander Werner Hartenstein torpedoed the Laconia -- a cruise ship turned troop ship that carried a motley crew of women, children, wounded soldiers and Italian Prisoners of War. Having sunk the ship, Hartenstein should have left them to their uncertain fate in the water, but instead he decided to resurface and save as many lives as he could. During the rescue operation, U-156's deck was crowded with Allied survivors fished out of the South Atlantic, but they weren't out of danger yet because an American bomber moved in to attack the U-156. Ovation aired the US premiere of this two-part miniseries on consecutive Saturdays (April 14 & April 21, 2012) at 10pm ET.