What would you have done?

[Deerdiver]

I have just had a deeply unpleasant experience! I torpedoed a medium sized freighter which exploded in quite a fireball. I as it was sinking I noticed two separate balls of flame, slightly to the rear. On closer inspection these turned out to be both liferafts, plus crew, blazing away. As an act of mercy I turned my 20mm cannon on them and sent them the way of their main vessel. I now feel like a war criminal. What would you have done?

[Sailor Steve]

Yeah, I think if they were covered in burning oil and there was no chance, it would be better.

Tough choice though.

[AVGWarhawk]

Mercy for them.

[aurora-7]

A bit heavy and hot a topic for this kind of forum. But I voted that your action was not a war crime (though I'd like to here your XO's account of the incident ;))

[Deerdiver]

Thanks for the moral support. I shall sleep easier tonight. In various accounts I have read of crews gunning survivors for a variety of reasons. In the case of Heinz Eck it was to avoid discovery of wreckage indicating a sub in the area. He was hung as a war criminal. I think the crew being on fire was probably good justification, if a little hard to enact. I promise not to make a habit of it.

[Rockin Robbins]

This is war and our survival might depend on the ammunition you spend on those rafts. They are dead anyway, but we might not be. Take the tough choice and sail away.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

What's the big deal? Your torps just killed most of the crew already and now you feel remorse because you gunned them down? Welcome to the world of war which takes a kind man and turn him into a beast. Read the Geneva Convention. You're now a war criminal.:hmm::yep: But if you pass 10 bucks I'll look the other way.:lol:

[SteminDemon13]

Well, the simple choice of no was not up there, so I could not vote, however, I would have simply shouted, GET OFF THE BOAT YOU MORONS AND DIVE UNDER THE WATER! But since they weren't smart enough to do that, and you gunned them down, there might be a chance you can come out unscathed, or not.

My question to you is skipper, did you at any time make contact with those embarked on the life raft? Courts Martial will begin tonight, depending on your answers on the questions that are asked will determine weather or not your record will be tarnished. We will start with the first question in the begining of this paragraph, remember you are under oath. Any other skippers are encouraged to participate in these proceedings. ;)

[kylesplanet]

This is war and our survival might depend on the ammunition you spend on those rafts. They are dead anyway, but we might not be. Take the tough choice and sail away.

:yep: :yep: :yep:

[bookworm_020]

Put them out of their misery! :up: At least they die with honour!

[DrBeast]

If it makes you feel any better, liferafts and crew are not affected by the surrounding flames as they do not do any damage at all. I had a couple of pics stashed away of a downed Japanese pilot swimming merrily in a pool of burning oil! :D

[ReallyDedPoet]

A difficult one for sure, I voted for mercy, but it was not easy.


RDP

[M. Sarsfield]

Toss them a few grenades and let them decide how to end their own lives. :up: Their choices are:
a) burning
b) drowning
c) starvation
d) dehydration
e) living/writhing shark food
f) pull pin and become chunks of fish food

Personally, gunning them down is a waste of ammo. I need that for Duci's evil planes. :rotfl:

[mookiemookie]

Put the poor bastards out of their misery.

[SteamWake]

You do realize its just a game :cool:

[Kpt. Lehmann]

You do realize its just a game :cool:

<Throws knuckwurst at Steamwake>

LIES!!! ALL LIES!!! :lol:

[AVGWarhawk]

You do realize its just a game :cool:

Are you sure? I see no place to put my quarters in to play. :hmm:

[thegroo]

I would have shown mercy.

[Deerdiver]

Steamwake,

interesting comment coming from a person logging comments posted in their thousands! Sounds like a way of life to me.

Yes, a game it may be, but it is (forgive the pun) an immersive game in which you become emotionally involved, celebrating the glories with your crew and feeling saddenned when they or your boat take injuries or damage.

I once spent a week almost in shock after playing B-17 Flying Fortress and losing my entire crew on a bombing raid over Germany when both wings were blown off by AckAck. Call me sensitive if you must.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Dude, you gotta be kidding me. Emotionally involved in- a game? Yes, It is a game- a great one in fact, but man don't go overboard or you'll end up like Ducimus, erm,...er.. What I'm trying to say is like save the game, go out, get lai...erm I mean have a good time. Get back and enjoy...THE GAME! Get it? Hell, I know some dudes who forget to eat and take a bath getting so into video games. Like I said to them. STAY FAR AWAY FROM ME! Don't be like them or you'll end up in the looneybin, or worse run for president!:rotfl:

Anyway is the guy who gunned the poor souls still around? I say give him the chair! Bwahahahahaa!

[von Kinderei]

I say let'M burn ...


Give'M a head start on where they're goin' anyways for the act they perpetrated on December 07 1941 :up:

[don1reed]

It depends how "accurately" you play SH4.

The answer is moot if your participation is merely routine playing out the issued scenarios; however, if your play replicates reinactment--then you find yourself under the ROE of the Geneva Convention of 1929 of which only 47 nations were signatory, the chief of which that did not sign were, Japan and Russia.

The nations consisting of the Allied Forces were signatories (Russia later subscribed to the Hague rules of 1906) and as such the treatment of wounded/captured enemy on the battlefied come into play.

Although the "sim" chose to indicate burning men in a burning liferaft, you were obligated to "care" for those wounded having caused their predicament. You were obligated to make every human effort to attempt rescue to save life and limb, without endangering your vessel or crew to counter-attack by other enemy lurking nearby. You do not have the right to shoot wounded men or dying men under the guise of "attempting to be humane".

So...

If in future encounters with the enemy and you are dealt such a sticky wicket...

...if you stole a church and the steeple was stickin' out your arse--DENY, DENY, DENY !!!!! :rotfl:

[FAdmiral]

You are all missing the point here?

The topic should read:

Which burns fasters, the 1s or the 0s


JIM