The ugly side of submarine warfare

DirtyHarry3033 · 09-15-05, 08:20 PM

Believe me, I think about that every time I fire an eel. Who am I killing? I'm just glad it's only numbers in a computer that are doing the dying...

But while we're at it, think of the terrible price paid by the u-boat crews. Most of them never came back from their last patrol.

Imagine being in a crippled boat, grounded 100 feet below crush depth - it's holding together - but just barely. Batteries running out, oxygen running out, destroyers storming around all over the place, and maybe hours to think about what's going to happen to you, and how you're never going to see your family again...

At least for the merchantmen, it was quick and sudden and unexpected I imagine. And some had at least a chance to survive. When a u-boat's hull is crushed at 700 feet, no one survives.

OK, so history tells us they were the "bad guys", but the truth is, they were patriotic soldiers doing their duty for their country, at the almost certain cost of their own lives. Whether they were right or wrong, I have a tremendous amount of respect for those men.

And finally, let's think about the terrible price paid by anyone involved in a war - no matter what side they're on, no matter whether they're actually fighting in it or not. Just think of Dresden, or London, or Hiroshima, or Stalingrad - 100's of thousands killed, and most non-combatants.

War sucks, but sadly it seems to be a part of our nature...

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09-15-05, 08:20 PM	#5
DirtyHarry3033 Weps Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 351 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Believe me, I think about that every time I fire an eel. Who am I killing? I'm just glad it's only numbers in a computer that are doing the dying... But while we're at it, think of the terrible price paid by the u-boat crews. Most of them never came back from their last patrol. Imagine being in a crippled boat, grounded 100 feet below crush depth - it's holding together - but just barely. Batteries running out, oxygen running out, destroyers storming around all over the place, and maybe hours to think about what's going to happen to you, and how you're never going to see your family again... At least for the merchantmen, it was quick and sudden and unexpected I imagine. And some had at least a chance to survive. When a u-boat's hull is crushed at 700 feet, no one survives. OK, so history tells us they were the "bad guys", but the truth is, they were patriotic soldiers doing their duty for their country, at the almost certain cost of their own lives. Whether they were right or wrong, I have a tremendous amount of respect for those men. And finally, let's think about the terrible price paid by anyone involved in a war - no matter what side they're on, no matter whether they're actually fighting in it or not. Just think of Dresden, or London, or Hiroshima, or Stalingrad - 100's of thousands killed, and most non-combatants. War sucks, but sadly it seems to be a part of our nature...