Legal Status
Modern hospital ships display large Red Crosses or Red Crescents to signify their Geneva convention protection under the laws of war. Even so, marked vessels have not been completely free from attack. During both WW I and WW II (see Lists of hospital ships sunk in either war), noncombatant markings did not stop the sinking of a number of hospital ships by either side. In one peculiar case, a British air attack in 1945 sank the German ship SS Deutschland with substantial loss of life. In the war's closing days, this ship may have been in the process of conversion to a hospital ship. If so, it apparently had not been sufficiently marked as a hospital ship, perhaps owing to the chaos surrounding the collapse of military and civilian authority in Nazi Germany.
Some hospital ships, such as the SS Hope, belong to civilian agencies, and as such are not part of any navy.
The British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Argus would be a hospital ship were it not for its armaments. When performing its medical role it is designated a 'primary casualty receiving ship'.
Armed vessels are disqualified from protection as a hospital ship under international law.
Read more about this topic: Hospital Ship
Famous quotes containing the words legal and/or status:
“Courage, then, for the end draws near! A few more years of persistent, faithful work and the women of the United States will be recognized as the legal equals of men.”
—Mary A. Livermore (1821–1905)
“His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”
—A.J. (Arthur James)