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Originally Posted by InvisibleDeath
Some interesting claims from the people that were there during the action.
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Because some people said it doesn't make it so.
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Planes: In the early part of the war no planes had anything for attacking uboats.
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No planes? Anything? They didn't carry depth charges yet, but they had bombs and while .303 calibre guns wouldn't penetrate a pressure hull they would certainly kill anyone on deck at the time. In April 1940 U-64 was sunk by a bomb from a Swordfish carried on the battleship HMS
Warspite.
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Escorts: Only wanted to drive uboats below and did not try to sink any subs.
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Tell that to Gerhard Glattes. Johannes Franz. Rolf Dau. Alexander Gelhaar. Horst Wellner. Werner Lott. All killed or captured by British destroyers in 1939.
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"If you were on a tanker carrying gas, one torpedo and it would be a massive fireball and the ship would disintegrate."
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Well, exept for SS
San Demetrio, when the crew abandoned the burning tanker only to have it make a big circle and come back later, with the fires extenguished by themselves. The crew reboarded and made port safely.
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The merchants were under order that no surviviors would be rescued under order s of the British Military!!! So my experience of a convoy leaving two lame duck merchant ships behind ended up to simulate reality quite well.
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Except for when they had a ship specifically assigned to play rearguard and pick up survivors. Or when an escort did it.