RE: crew of U-470 abandoned -Dave
Posted by:
Tom Iwanski
()
Date: June 06, 2001 07:59PM
<HTML>John,
Very well put, in my opinion. I have to qualify my response by saying that I\'ve never served in the military, thus never been in an armed conflict. Yet, it seems that cold logic and mechanical efficiency serve the cause of victory much more than human compassion.
I admit that my current objectivity might be clouded if I\'d learned that one of the war dead in my family suffered a fate similar to the crew of U-470. That\'s why I marvel at the ability of the commanders who could keep their logical perspective in those difficult situations. Yet, there are times when use of this logic seems to push the envelope. A case in point from the American side would be Cmdr. Morton of the USS Wahoo who fired on Japanese troops in the water after sinking their transport. Morton\'s logic was to prevent these soldiers from surviving to combat Allied troops. Kplt. Wilhelm Eck took similar action (although for a different reason) when he ordered that the crowded lifeboats from his victim, the Peleus, be sunk. (This is well documented on uboat.net.) Since Morton made it back to his base, he was decorated. Unfortunately for Eck, he was captured and ultimately shot for war crimes.
All in all, I think it\'s interesting to watch the struggle to impose rules of morality and human decency on something as inherently dehumanizing as war.
Regards,
Tom
</HTML>
Very well put, in my opinion. I have to qualify my response by saying that I\'ve never served in the military, thus never been in an armed conflict. Yet, it seems that cold logic and mechanical efficiency serve the cause of victory much more than human compassion.
I admit that my current objectivity might be clouded if I\'d learned that one of the war dead in my family suffered a fate similar to the crew of U-470. That\'s why I marvel at the ability of the commanders who could keep their logical perspective in those difficult situations. Yet, there are times when use of this logic seems to push the envelope. A case in point from the American side would be Cmdr. Morton of the USS Wahoo who fired on Japanese troops in the water after sinking their transport. Morton\'s logic was to prevent these soldiers from surviving to combat Allied troops. Kplt. Wilhelm Eck took similar action (although for a different reason) when he ordered that the crowded lifeboats from his victim, the Peleus, be sunk. (This is well documented on uboat.net.) Since Morton made it back to his base, he was decorated. Unfortunately for Eck, he was captured and ultimately shot for war crimes.
All in all, I think it\'s interesting to watch the struggle to impose rules of morality and human decency on something as inherently dehumanizing as war.
Regards,
Tom
</HTML>
Subject | Written By | Posted |
---|---|---|
crew of U-470 abandoned | Dave McQueen | 06/05/2001 08:12PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned | Brian Corijn | 06/05/2001 09:03PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned | Dave McQueen | 06/06/2001 07:04AM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned | Steve Cooper | 06/06/2001 12:27PM |
RE: USS Juneau | Rainer Bruns | 06/06/2001 01:03PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned | becorijn@zeelandnet.nl | 06/06/2001 01:14PM |
USS Juneau | Michael Lowrey | 06/06/2001 02:41PM |
RE: USS Juneau | Michael Lowrey | 06/06/2001 03:22PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned | Rainer Bruns | 06/06/2001 01:11PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned | Steve | 06/06/2001 01:29PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned -Dave | John Griffiths | 06/06/2001 05:18PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned -Dave | Ted Agar | 06/06/2001 07:29PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned -Dave | Tom Iwanski | 06/06/2001 07:59PM |
in defense of Mush | kurt | 06/06/2001 08:55PM |
RE: in defense of Mush | Steve Cooper | 06/07/2001 01:27PM |
Mushs first wahoos third | kurt | 06/07/2001 03:21PM |
RE: in defense of Eck | Tim | 06/08/2001 01:44AM |
Eck knew he was killing survivors | kurt | 06/08/2001 05:05PM |
With all due respect John | Dave McQueen | 06/07/2001 06:44AM |
RE: With all due respect John | John Griffiths | 06/07/2001 04:10PM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned | Steve | 06/06/2001 12:19AM |
RE: crew of U-470 abandoned | Joe Brennan | 06/06/2001 06:00AM |
RE: other example | Rainer Bruns | 06/06/2001 01:06PM |
realities of war | kurt | 06/06/2001 03:41PM |
RE: realities of war | Walt | 06/06/2001 10:08PM |
RE: realities of war | Steve | 06/07/2001 10:02AM |
RE: wrong spot, defending Mush | Rainer Bruns | 06/06/2001 11:31PM |
Mush and Eck | kurt | 06/07/2001 04:01AM |
RE: Mush and Eck | Rainer Bruns | 06/07/2001 11:32AM |
RE: Mush and Eck | Walt | 06/07/2001 12:04PM |
RE: Mush and Eck | Steve Cooper | 06/07/2001 01:21PM |
RE: Mush and Eck | Walt | 06/07/2001 04:59PM |
RE: Mush and Eck | Tim | 06/08/2001 02:06AM |
RE: Mush and Eck | Rainer Bruns | 06/07/2001 03:43PM |
RE: Mush and Eck | Walt | 06/07/2001 04:57PM |
different opinions | kurt | 06/07/2001 03:56PM |
RE: different opinions | Rich Mickle | 06/07/2001 11:03PM |
RE: different opinions | Siri Lawson | 06/08/2001 03:56AM |
RE: different opinions | Rich Mickle | 06/08/2001 08:51AM |