Russian subs sinking Swedes

[Warmonger]

I've browsed a bit through several sub sites on the net, including one about Soviet subs and their successes. What puzzled me was that they sunk quite a number of Swedish ships on their patrols.
Sweden was neutral and never in a state of war with SU so how are the high losses explained or justified? Anyone got some knowledge on that?

[Hybris]

Russian target practice perhaps?:rotfl:

[bigboywooly]

They are not the only ones

Greece and Belgium were neutral till 1940

BDU report Oct 39
12.10

U 35 entered port. She sank:
1)English trawler "Arlita" 325 tons
2) " " "Lord Minto" 285 tons
3)a freighter from a convoy 9,000 tons
4)the Belgian S.S. "Suzen" 2,239 tons
5)the Greek S.S. "Diamantis" 4,990 tons

16,839 tons

November 39
8.11
U 28 sailed for her operations area (Operations Order No. 10).

U 37 entered port. She sank:

1)S.S. Vistula 1,018 tons Swedish
2)S.S. Asis 4,810 tons Greek
3)S.S. Vermont 5,186 tons French
4)S.S. Yorkshire 10,183 tons English
5)S.S. Menin Ridge 2,474 tons
"6)S.S. Ledbury 3,528 tons
"7)S.S. Tafna 4,413 tons
"8)S.S. Thrasyroulos 3,693 tons Greek

Total 35,305 tons.
http://www.uboatarchive.net/BDUKTB.htm

[LZ_Baker]

Maybe they got sunk because they were in an enemy port?

[Safe-Keeper]

Sweden did help both Axis and Allies, so she was not exactly "neutral" as such. Speaking of fighting Swedes, there were also some skirmishes between Swedish and German soldiers at the Norwegian-Swedish border.

So it was not exactly "neutral" as in "not helping anyone and totally left alone".

[Warmonger]

Sweden did help both Axis and Allies, so she was not exactly "neutral" as such. Speaking of fighting Swedes, there were also some skirmishes between Swedish and German soldiers at the Norwegian-Swedish border.

So it was not exactly "neutral" as in "not helping anyone and totally left alone".

Well the point is whether you're politically neutral or not. And German subs, especially early in the war, operated under very strict regulations concerning neutrals.

[TteFAboB]

Trigger-happy captains.

[Hybris]

Gulity as hell!:oops::oops::oops:

[Saukko]

Trigger-happy captains.
Yeah, I can easily imagine uncle Joe demanding more sinkings, and threatening to put the captains in torpedo tubes.

During Cold War Sweden often chased suspected soviet submarines in their waters, one even run aground (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_137).


Aircraft spotted! :D
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5981/subfighterxp9.jpg

[snowsub]

Aircraft spotted! :D
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5981/subfighterxp9.jpg

Bernard!!!!! :o :D

[Linton]

Whiskey on the rocks:http://compunews.com/s139/sp2.htm

Ola Tunander's view on submarine intrusions:http://php.dev.isn.ch/research/AreaStudies/Submarine_Incursions/Tunander.htm

[Yahoshua]

"Oops" is never a good thing to hear.:o

[Oberon]

Uncle Joe: "Be more aggressive!" :doh:

http://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/encounter_1982.jpg