Fishing Boat Kills...

Does everyone believe that this was acceptable behaviour-sinking civilian vessels to prevent discovery-and possibly death???

 

Well, everything must be placed in the situation they were going through. Finnish and Russian patrol men killed all the civilians they faced not to be brought to light and thus being executed as soon as they were found out.
Unfortunately this is the case here as well.
How can you be sure the men of the fisher boats won´t give your details away and whoops..your boat is sunk. It´s kill or be dead.
Not very gallant but I´d rather be alive than fish food...
Those who let the fisher ships go are not here telling it, I reckon...

 

No

During WWi and the Otranto barrage the Austrians always used to let the civilians off before the shot up the boat.

Like any other attack on civilians it's unacceptable, unless, like merchantmen, they were drawn ito the overall defence system. This was clearly defined pre war.

Jumbo

 

During WW1 just about everyone let the crews off the ships before sinking. That's why there are u-boat cruises with just four torpedos fired and yet dozens of ships sunk.

 

To be more precise: I do not accept the "total war" businez with the U-boats here. It´s a different biz to look for civilian ships and sink them and to be found by fisher ships.
It´s a stupid excuse to say the civilian boats take ammunition and stuff with them and sink the boat with a couple of thousand dead civilians. That I do not accept.If they are among a supply convoy that´s plain stupid and looking for death.

If it´s possible I would make the crew get to a rowing boat with enough supplies or just destroy the communication system and thus getting away, but my crew would come first anyway in all circumstances!

 

The fishing vessels and crews were legitmate targets to be destroyed-they are feeding an enemy population and military force. Their destruction is no different than the indiscriminate bombing of cities to kill civilians. This was total war and one would do well to drop the foolish sentiments and remember the prophetic words of Lord Jackie Fischer "The essence of war is violence. Moderation in war is imbecility."

 

Interesting topic, gents. WHile I know basically nothing about the naval conflict, on the general civilian issue, I'd unfortunatley have to somwehat agree with Wolfpack. I sort of fall in between Wolf and Kai- if it was possible to NOT kill any civilians, while still protecting your Uboat crew, then I'd say spare them. And I do believe I've read of this happening- Uboats sinking enemy vessels after allowing the sailors into lifeboats.
But, war is war. It may be nice to have things like the geneva convention, but it seems that especially in WW2, the priority wasdefeating the enemy, not making everyone happy. And Kai has it right- if allowing a fishing boat to go about it's business would lead to the sinking of your boat, I would think it would actually be the RESPONSIBILITY of the captain to order the vessel sunk.
The strategic bombing is a good example, I'd say- the allies all used strategic bombing knowing full well that thousands of civilians were also being killed.

Just my 2 cents on this one... and again, I know very little about the naval conflict.

[ 10 October 2002, 02:52 PM: Message edited by: CrazyD88 ]

 

The starvation blockade by the Brits in WWI aganist Germany was mildly protested by other countries, including the USA, however, unrestricted submarine warfare brought the USA into that conflict-go figure. The winners get to write history. The Brits argrued that it was a legitimate weapon of war(time honored method), surface ships...ect. The "uncoventional" method by the Germans with U boats was vilified. Different weapons used for the same purpose.

 

Well, you know. U-boat crews didn't like to kill anybody unecessarily in WWI, so they put everybody out in lifeboats and then sunk the ship with nobody on board. But stupid Mr. Churchill with his E vessels, fisher and merchant armed vessels that were hidden among the sheeps and hunt the wolf... That provoked the policy of: "Shoot first, ask later". War is war. And a stupid policy provokes another stupid policy. Look at the "Laconia incident"...