Laconia

Laconia city (1990 pop. 15,743), seat of Belknap co., central N.H., near lakes Winnisquam and Winnipesaukee and on the Winnipesaukee River; settled c.1761, inc. as a city 1893. It is a popular summer and winter resort and the industrial and trade center of a lake resort and farming region. Among the city's products are computer parts, machinery, building materials, metal and paper products, transportation equipment, textiles, and electronics.

Laconia, armed 20,000-ton British liner torpedoed in the South Atlantic 400 km. (250 mi.) north-east of Ascension Island on 12 September 1942. She had aboard 2,771 men, women, and children, including 1,800 Italian prisoners-of-war. Once aware of the prisoners, the U-boat captain started rescue operations. Vichy French assistance was requested from Dakar in French West Africa and the U-boat captain signalled in English that any rescue ship would be given immunity from attack. This message was received at the British base at Freetown, Sierre Leone in British West Africa, but not by the US air base on Ascension. On 15 September Freetown informed Ascension of the sinking, but not of the rescue operation still under way. Freetown then requested air cover for British ships proceeding to the scene and a Liberator bomber, dispatched the next morning, found the U-boat collecting survivors in readiness for the rendezvous with French ships from Dakar. Though the U-boat was displaying a large Red Cross flag (see International Red Cross Committee), and was towing four lifeboats, the bomber was ordered to attack. It missed the U-boat but the rescue operation was immediately abandoned and eventually the French rescued most of the 1,111 survivors. The attack caused additional loss of life among the survivors and prompted the German U-boat C-in-C, Grand Admiral Dönitz, to issue what became known as the ‘Laconia Order’ which forbade the rescue of crews of sunken ships. At the Nuremberg trials the prosecutor failed to have Dönitz convicted for issuing the order after Fleet Admiral Nimitz confirmed the US Navy had pursued a similar policy in the Pacific war.

Laconia or Lacedaemon , ancient region, S Peloponnesus, Greece, bounded on the W by Messenia and on the N by Arcadia and Argolis. On the Eurotas (now Evrotás), the principal river, stood Sparta , the capital. Sparta dominated the region, despite the existence of many other towns, until the rise of the second Achaean League in the 3d and 2d cent. BC Laconia (now Lakonías) is today a name of Greece.