A scripted event or pure chance?

[Vacillator]

In another post I described my introduction to the Second Happy Time. Lots of destroyers and planes, but not so many targets as I'd expected.

Well, as fuel was dwindling I started to head back via Bermuda. Imagine my excitement when I picked up a contact which turned into 3 large tankers in line astern. They were moving fast so I quickly positioned and attacked.

Got hits on all and was rubbing my hands when suddenly it hit me....


What was that flag I saw? Why no cheering?

Oh no, look at the map - green marker for the first as it sank.

Minutes later I was the less than proud 'owner' of 55,450 tons of neutral tankers!


So I wondered whether these guys were scripted (if that's the right word) or whether it was chance? If it was chance, might they have been enemies on another day? It sure was a nice target but what a let-down...