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Originally Posted by U-46 Commander
Destroyers are meant to sink submarines, duh!  Tell that to that crazy person! |
that is correct. destroyers are meant to sink subs...
the problem which is presented is that a majority of the crew abandoned the sinking sub and were floating in the water calling for the destroyer to help them.
the skipper... viewing it as a ploy... continued his depth charge runs.
when a depth charge explodes within any fair distance of a swimming human being the shock wave passes through the water and then through the body essentially rupturing all of your internal organs. stomach, splean, kidneys, lungs, testicles you name it.
the lady is basically saying that the destroyer commander ordered a depth charge run on swimming sailors who were not only defenseless against the attacking destroyer at this point... but they were attempting to surrender... and as such should have been taken prisoner... not depth charged into oblivion.
what im about to say has the benifet of perfect hind sight...
If he had not commenced the depth charge run against the scuttled sub and floating survivors, there would be a 29 young German men who made it home to see their wives, kids, girlfriends and parents.
however, at the time, suspecting that the u-boat commander was attempting to make it look as if the boat had been scuttled in order to escape, and then later pick up his crew... he decided to continue the DC runs against the sub.
as the old saying goes
"War is hell"
i dont mean to seem coy when i say that, one man could stand on one side of the fence and say the roper's crew murdered thos germans.
another man could stand on the other side of the fence and say that the roper's actions were correct given the situation.
which side of the fence any of us stands on will not change history, perhaps one day if any of us find ourselves in such a terrible position as to decide whether or not to drop high explosives into the water next to a swimmer we can think back to this event and make a human decision.
just because war is horrible... doesnt mean we have to be. thats the way i look at it.
In no way can i speak for that commanding officer... of course none of us can... we werent there and didnt experience the confusion and tension which accompanies any military engagement.
its a sad story, and one worthy of discussion and recognition.