interesting documentary interviews

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by InvisibleDeath

Some interesting claims from the people that were there during the action.

Because some people said it doesn't make it so.

Planes: In the early part of the war no planes had anything for attacking uboats.

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.

Escorts: Only wanted to drive uboats below and did not try to sink any subs.

Tell that to Gerhard Glattes. Johannes Franz. Rolf Dau. Alexander Gelhaar. Horst Wellner. Werner Lott. All killed or captured by British destroyers in 1939.

"If you were on a tanker carrying gas, one torpedo and it would be a massive fireball and the ship would disintegrate."

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.

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.

Except for when they had a ship specifically assigned to play rearguard and pick up survivors. Or when an escort did it.