Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon West
And here's where I started thinking. In real life, wouldn't the captain of the Snapper in this situation be required to go and rescue said survivors? In order for me to do so, I would've had to make quite the manuevers to avoid the sinking wreckage. I was also in very bright daylight, and though only in the Mindaro Strait, I was afraid of air cover. I know there probably isn't a feature in SH4 to rescue anyone aside from downed allied airmen, but I was still curious about the situation, and actually felt bad just sailing away like nothing had happened.
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Let's say in real life in 1942, the ship sinks slowly and there are several hundred Japanese survivors in boats or in the water. Even if you are the most humane of skippers, where would you put them? About the best you could do would be to provide some provisions, water and directions to land, but if some fanatic opens fire with a pistol as you approach because he thinks you are about to run them down that option is out.
Sadly, a really vicious cycle developed in the Pacific War in which the Japanese reluctance to surrender often meshed horrifically with Allied antipathy toward taking prisoners. Most Japanese personnel were told that they would be killed or tortured if they fell into Allied hands and, as a consequence, most of those faced with defeat on the battlefield fought to the death or committed suicide. Combine this with the racial hatred and disdain many Allied combatants had toward the Japanese and it's hardly a wonder that there were so few Japanese POWs.
What's really tragic is that there were many Chinese, Filipino, Thai, and Indonesian sailors forcibly impressed into the service of the Japanese Merchant Marine who would have been happy to receive help, but in the confused circumstances of war probably perished anyway.