Why did the U-boat fire a second torpedo into the stricken Allied tanker? She was well ablaze and doomed with a broken back.
German torpedoes were immensely expensive to manufacture during WW2. I am surprised they wasted a second one when the first had already fatally crippled the target.
A 'probable' sinking would not add to the Captain's 'score-list' and to the Oak Leaves to his Ritterkreuz that would surely follow so-and-so many tons of sunken ships. That's why you saw outrageous estimates of the size of the victims (may-november 1941 saw an over estimate of no less than 53 %) - just like you saw even more outrageous claims (by both sides) in the Battle of England.
shareBut I don't think that this captain was after medals ... I think he probably wasted a second one to get rid of their arsenal faster. The sooner you run out of torpedoes, the sooner they would be able to return home.
shareEven if the Ka'Leun' is rather disillusioned I still think he rather likes the abejct adoration that highly decorated officers get, in occupied France (we are still only in the second year of the occupation) and - of course even more - in Germany.
I think that Oak Leaves to the Ritterkreuz would be the next 'level', and he - and the crew! - would probably be carted off to Germany to spend a month or so at a ski resort with all the trimmings. That would be something to go for. Even if ten thousand of the sunken tons would be a 'sitting duck'. They only had to survive....
I believe they talk about that in the director's commentary.
One reason named was, that it gives them more space.
More space?
It seems it would be difficult to varify the tonnage of ships sank. How exactly can you varify for yourself, if you fire a couple torpedos at a convoy of different seacraft, and duck underwater before they hit? You may hear ships sinking, but which exactly?
Also wouldn't firing upon the disabled craft signal to any other ships in the area that you are still there, and to come get you.
Erh, more space - as inside a small type VII-c boat, maybe?
shareAt least at night there would be no chance of seeing the wake behind the torpedo and execute any evasive maneuvers. So, if the torpedoes worked at all the crew could be rather certain that they would hit the ship in their sights.
Every able seaman could tell with rather great accuracy the displacement of ships. Add to this that any warship had a book of silhouettes with description of ships, so the crew in theory would be able to identify any ship - at least pre-war ships because those were registered by Lloyd's and other companies.
Also wouldn't firing upon the disabled craft signal to any other ships in the area that you are still there, and to come get you.
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I distantly remember reading somewhere that the cost of each torpedo was about 20,000 Reich Marks.
shareI distantly remember reading somewhere that the cost of each torpedo was about 20,000 Reich Marks.
US torpedoes cost $10000 at WWII prices! British ones cost £2000. That's about ten year's average wages for the time. Ýou could buy 200 Ford cars for the same price as one torpedo!
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