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    You are at:Home»Society»Crime»History Short: Hospital Ship Targeted and Sunk!
    Crime

    History Short: Hospital Ship Targeted and Sunk!

    Major DanBy Major DanMay 14, 2023No Comments2 Mins Read
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    AHS Centaur

    A Brief History

    On May 14, 1943, the Australian hospital ship AHS Centaur was torpedoed and sunk by Japanese Imperial Navy submarine I-177.  Sadly, 268 of the 332 crew and civilians aboard along with 63 of the 65 Australian Army personnel aboard the ship died.

    Digging Deeper

    Centaur was clearly marked in accordance with International Red Cross protocol, painted white and showing large red crosses on the hull. She was also fully illuminated when attacked. Built in Scotland in 1924, Centaur was originally a combination refrigerated cargo and passenger liner that was turned over to the Australian military in 1943 for conversion as a hospital ship.

    Centaur was not particularly large, only 315 feet long and 48 feet wide with a gross tonnage of 3222.  Capable of 12.5 knots, she had been armed as a British vessel, but her conversion to hospital ship included the removal of all armaments.

    Tragically, about 2 dozen hospital ships of all nations were sunk during World War II, including some that were heavily damaged.  The worst of these incidents was the sinking of the Soviet hospital ship Armenia by German bomber aircraft, resulting in about 5000 deaths.

    Despite investigation and protests, no one was ever put on trial for or charged for the war crime of sinking the Centaur.

    Question for students (and subscribers): What incident do you believe was the worst war crime of World War II? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see…

    Royal Australian Navy. Royal Australian Navy Fleet: Celebrating 100 years of Pride in the Fleet. Big Sky Publishing, 2016.

    Stille, Mark. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War.  Osprey Publishing, 2014.

    The featured image in this article, a propaganda poster calling for Australians to avenge the sinking of Centaur, is of Australian origin and is now in the public domain because its term of copyright has expired. 

    You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.

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    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

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