Compassionate Fascism?

[BasilY]

Originally Posted by Col Frost

I've recently become more uneasy and somehat troubled by the moral dilemma of sinking merchant ships, much like the area bombing of civilians during the war by both sides, which I believe was a mistake and also wasted huge numbers of (especially) allied airmen, for limited results.
This got me thinking, why don't I try a new career and only sink Military targets?
The thrill of sinking a destroyer is anyway much more fulfilling for me than a merchant, as it's a kill or be killed situation.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the renown for sinking some of the larger Battleships etc should be more than enough to progress in my career.
I guess the problems will begin to mount as the war continue's and the detection capabilities of the ASW units increases rapidly.
Personally I blame the realism of GWX3.0, which along with the fantastic radio pack by Olsen (i think), along with the lifeboat/ debris mod has increased my immersion no end.
I seem to remember that some U-boat commanders did this at the start of the war, but the practice soon stopped (again correct me if I'm wrong).
Somehow I don't think BDU will approve...

Maybe you should try this,

- Linger outside of major naval bases, try to infiltrate whenever possible
- Patrol known task force lanes, (Scapa <-> Hebrides), (Norfolk <-> Panama)
- Hang around your own task forces (say bismarck)
- Do NOT engage merchant ships (it's beneath your chivalry)
- If you do engage merchant ships, use no more than 1 torpedo, you should save your torpedo for major surface ships.

In fact, someone already try this exact list on a massive scale, the Japanese submarine force. And you must remember the fear they instilled into the hearts of every allied merchant seaman, the countless allied naval resources diverted to defend against them every where, the spectacular success they enjoyed...

I think not.

[Col Frost]

It's very interesting to hear everyone's comments.
Of course it's only a game ( I must confess I do like to occasionally machine gun the lifeboats for a bit of fun). But having played it for however many hundreds of hours, I can't help but examine the motivation of the various people involved, and compare them to my own moral compass. Does the end result justify any means to achieve it? I'm always impressed by the war in North Africa, very few civilans killed, prisoners treated well by both sides etc.
But total war was just that I suppose, a clash of idealism that left no room for sentimentality. To bring Britain to her knees required the strangulation of her supplies from abroad, and that involved sinking merchants.
Sod it, line up that merchent fritz, she'd going to the bottom...

[Jimbuna]

SINK EM ALL!!

[Dread Knot]

Originally Posted by Col Frost

I'm always impressed by the war in North Africa, very few civilans killed, prisoners treated well by both sides.

The war in North Africa probably seems clean because it was mostly fought in a barren void where the environment was as great a foe as the opposing side. No great body of civilians to get in the line of fire between the armies. The Western Desert between Libya and Egypt where the principal fighting took place was at home at the time to only a tiny population of Arabs and nomadic Bedouins who stayed aloof from the fighting and were indifferent in the who victor was. Consequently, It didn't have the ugly idealogical or racial bent of the war in Europe or the Pacific. It's possible things might have been different had the Axis reached one of the great cities of the Middle East with their large Jewish populations

[goggles]

sometimes its hard not to feel sorry for them especially with lifeboat mods and such

i sank hms nelson earlier today with massive loss of life only 20 or so survivors out of a crew of about 1500

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by goggles

sometimes its hard not to feel sorry for them especially with lifeboat mods and such

i sank hms nelson earlier today with massive loss of life only 20 or so survivors out of a crew of about 1500

Think of how many made it off the HMS Hood.





3 men..... of 1,418

[kenijaru]

Fascism? NEIN!!! *raises right arm... but tries to put it down with the left arm, fighting it, as if the right arm had a mind of his own)

Mein Fuhrër, the loss of... I'm sorry, Mister President, the loss of life cannot be avoided during an armed conflict of these proportions... if those who join the merchant navy aren't aware of that, it's their government's fault.

[A Very Super Market]

Five billion points for a such an awesome post.