WesWorld

Merry Christmas to you all! :D

As a present from ABS Productions we have a tale of heroism on the high seas.

Operation Blue Typhoon

In November 1935 the Argentine secret agent Jackal in the Iberian embassy in Pretoria received information that a routine convoy of 22 merchant ships was due to depart Durban on the 13th headed for Buenos Aires. It would have the usual escort and destroyer screen but no cruiser support. His report was relayed via courier to another agent, Cicero, in the Iberian Embassy in Argentina who got the information to Argentine Naval Intelligence via a courier [Note 1].
Under pressure from the government to do something about the incoming African supplies as it seemed likely that the Brazilian Front would collapse at any moment the Chief of Staff Almirante Peablo quickly organised Operation Blue Typhoon. Even a partial success might slow or temporarily halt enemy convoy sailings and buy much needed time for the Argentine Army to rebuild some strength before the next enemy offensive.

On the 18th the cruiser General Belgrano would set sail from Comodoro Rivadavia and head out into the Atlantic and intercept the convoy. Given the light escort the Navy felt sure of success and a much needed victory. The cruiser would sail alone; no escorts would hamper her speed. It was to be a hit and run raid. Total radio silence was to be observed although the codeword “Typhoon” would be sent when the convoy was engaged.

Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro received his orders on the 17th, ordered his crew aboard from shore leave that night, provisioned and fuelled and casted off at 04:30 from Comodoro Rivadavia. As the pilot guided the cruiser out of the harbour and into the channel the crew packed away the stores and stopped grousing about their cut-short leave as the prospects of action enlivened the crew [Note 2].

Luitenant Lilibung, captain of the J-1, J Class submarine, was on patrol six miles offshore from Comodoro Rivadavia. He lowered the periscope, “that’s the second minesweeper, something is leaving harbour, a big ship.” He was suffering from bad luck this trip, his radio was not working properly and he was finding it difficult to maintain trim. As he manoeuvred to get around the minesweeper he raised the periscope and again peered into the night. Nothing, he could see nothing and yet his seaman’s sixth sense told him a big ship was out there. “Steer red 30, keep her steady, watch the trim.” The hydrophone operator picked up high speed propellers, maybe a cruiser and then identified a destroyer 3,000 meters off the port bow. “Dive to 100! Green 60 degrees, maintain collision stations!” The dreaded ASDIC ping did not come and the destroyer passed along the port side and far away astern. Lilibung breathed a sigh of relief, they were safe but the cruiser was too far away to catch submerged and it was too dangerous to surface this close to the coast. He sighed; tomorrow he would send a report to Naval HQ Mar del Plata.

The General Belgrano emerged into the Atlantic; the weather was clear and the seas smooth. Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro let his men unwind. Those off duty sunbathed on the quarterdeck or on the turret roofs, others read, some did a spot of fishing with simple tackles while the AA gun crews swept the skies and the gun directors swept the horizon. Everything seemed to be going well; conditions were perfect and under radio silence Marlboro felt sure that the African’s were unaware of his presence. After two days heading east the Belgrano turned northeast to bring her towards the convoy routes. naval intelligence had estimated which route the convoy would use (the normal Durban-Buenos Aires route) and Marlboro aimed for this. As far as he knew only one other convoy, a homeward bound convoy of ten ships, was at sea.

Unknown to Marlboro or Naval Intelligence a cruiser of the RSAN 10th Cruiser Squadron, the Douala II, on routine patrol on the northern convoy routes, was ordered to refuel from a tanker with the convoy on the 19th and arrived in the area on the 20th. On the 19th the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, 1st Division, comprising of RSAN Halberd, RSAN Javelin and RSAN Glaive departed for home having escorted the convoy into the mid-Atlantic without mishap. RSAN Javelin remained to serve as a flagship for the remaining escorting force made up of the 3rd Escort Flotilla, 2nd Division with the frigates RSAN Rio Olimer Grande, RSAN Rio Cebolatti, RSAN Rio Tacuari and RSAN Rio Daymàn.

At 09:24 on the 20th a look-out aboard the General Belgrano spotted smoke on the horizon. Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro immediately leapt up from his seat in the open bridge and ordered all crews to combat stations. The Gunnery Officer Teniente de Navio Salvador in the main director atop the foremast confirmed, “several smoke plumes, two large merchant ships visible on horizon. Certainly a convoy captain.” Marlboro moved into the conning tower and ordered a top speed interception course. The sun was up in the east, Marlboro decided to come up from a southerly direction and attack the convoy from astern. At 08:44 a Wapiti V had been launched from the catapult and now radioed its first sighting report, “Convoy sixteen miles northeast, 3 escort ships and sixteen merchant ships, two tankers. Are heading 230 degrees but altering course northward. Conditions good with some haze, clouds forming to the north.” As the Belgrano altered course it was obvious that the convoy had either spotted them or the aircraft and was altering course while the escorts altered stations to form a defensive line. Even so the Belgrano at full speed soon closed the gap and had the convoy within effective range of her 150mm guns.



The Gunnery Officer Teniente de Navio Salvador began feeding range data to the forward turrets as the Wapiti made report before breaking off to avoid AA fire. The Belgrano broke radio silence to broadcast the codeword “Typhoon.” At 09:37 Belgrano turned to open the arcs for A, B and C turrets and at 09:40 the all three turrets opened fire on a large 5,000 ton steamer [Note 3]. By this time the RSAN destroyers (in fact RSAN Javelin and the escort Rio Olimer Grande) were approaching head-on to minimise their target aspect at full speed to close the range to launch a torpedo attack. Already two escorts were laying a smoke screen and the convoy began to scatter to the north. The third half-salvo scored a hit on the steamer as Marlboro turned to port to bring his after guns into action while his forward guns dealt with the destroyer threat. The secondary 100mm guns began firing as the destroyers turned to launch torpedoes; RSAN Rio Olimer Grande is hit astern by a 150mm shell which causes a secondary explosion shortly afterwards [Note 4] her bows shot upwards as the stern quickly sank. Although RSAN Javelin fired several rounds none of the enemy shells hit but a few splinters did come aboard. The enemy destroyer retired under smoke to regroup as the after 150mm guns under local control from the after rangefinder began shelling a large tanker that loomed out of the smokescreen [Note 5].

The starboard lookout spotted torpedo tracks to starboard but Marlboro calmly issues orders to comb the tracks, once the danger is over he resumes his course to open the arcs of his after turrets.
At 10:09 Gunnery Officer Teniente de Navio Salvador scores another hit, this time a 100mm hit on RSAN Rio Tacuari’s bows as she turns to make an attack with her 105mm guns while still laying a smoke screen. Only one enemy destroyer succeeds in launching a spread of torpedoes. Once again Marlboro alters course to improve his arcs. As the cruiser turns however a 105mm shell hits the forecastle wrecking the windlass and another ricochets off the main belt harmlessly. As Marlboro starts a new parallel course Teniente de Navio Salvador begins aiming all the 150mm guns onto the convoy and splits targets. The RSAN Rio Tacuari still laying smoke is assigned to A and C turrets while X and Y turrets aim for another cargo ship much further north which is soon obscured by smoke. The RSAN Rio Tacuari comes under heavy fire at 10:13 and at least two 150mm hits are recorded amidships. She slows down and begins to founder as two 100mm shells from Belgrano’s secondary armament find their mark. In the conning tower Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro nods, it seems to him that the convoy is in his hands, there is little to stop him sinking the ships before they scatter too far. He noted the escorts seemed to have broken away further north and seemed disinclined to engage again as they shepherded the slowest merchants to safety.

At this point the cruiser RSAN Douala II dashes through the smoke screen, her forward guns spurt fire at a range of 9500 meters. She had been on the other side of the convoy waiting to link up with the tanker when the Belgrano appeared. Gunnery Officer Teniente de Navio Salvador soon spots this new threat and assigns the forward turrets to engage her. Marlboro was shocked but using his binoculars he noticed the Douala II was laying high in the water assumed she had empty bunkers. Marlboro gave his commands calmly, “steer 240 degrees, let’s open the range and concentrate on the cruiser. Secondaries are to keep firing on the enemy escorts on the starboard side, keep me informed if they close. Tell the Chief I want all the power he has, we can’t let the enemy cross the T.” [To be continued...]

[Note 1] Cicero was a typing clerk, Juan de Horengo who had been making tip offs to the Argentine Navy since 1926. The Ministry of Security doubted his integrity and he proved to be talkative. In December 1935 he died in a "car crash" during an air raid.

[Note 2] Capitan de Navio N. Marlboro; age 35; born 1901, entered the Navy at 16 and worked through the ranks he took his first command in 1925 of the cruiser Commodoro Py and in 1927 took command of the sailing ship Presidente Sarimento. He was the first commanding officer of the General Belgrano and spent six months in Germany when the ship completed. He was in command of the cruiser throughout the war.

[Note 3] The SS Guadalupe, she was hit by one 150mm shell in the forward hold causing some flooding but made Grand Uruguay safely.

[Note 4] The RSAN Rio Olimer Grande suffered a direct hit in her after 105mm magazine, this exploded wrecking her stern and she quickly sinks. 70 of her crew perish.

[Note 5] The 5,800 ton SS Saturn Derrick, only two years old and one of SAE’s newest tankers. She was hit just abaft of the forward superstructure wrecking a pumping room and causing an oil leak. Some of this caught alight and she burned for four hours but her gallant crew managed to extinguish the blaze and save the ship.

Looking forward to seeing the end of this!

Yeesh, gonna have to see if the Argentines want a more modern spotting aircraft..... Ar-196s would certainly be an improvement!

Part Two

Capitan Halke of the Douala II was an experienced sailor of 23 years service. He knew he had no fuel to fight a drawn-out battle at high speed. He chose to close the range and cross the T to bring maximum firepower to bear. The Belgrano may have had three extra guns over the Douala II but he knew Belgrano’s B turret was masked in certain arcs. However as the Belgrano turned to spoil Halke’s plans both ships were on a closing interception course. Wisely Marlboro kept the range open and the Douala became more parallel, a situation which enabled Belgrano’s guns to fire on the broadside and thus disadvantaging the African cruiser although Halke could still use his superior torpedo broadside to even the odds.

Douala’s first shells landed short, by the time her forward guns opened fire again the Belgrano had switched her full attention to her. Halke made his first turn in response to Marlboro altering course to port and this threw the aim off but the fourth salvo (the first second full salvo) scored a hit. The range was around 9900 metres so elevation was low and the trajectory was quite low. The 150mm shell hit Belgrano near the top of the main belt near the forward starboard 100mm mount (S1). The shell nearly pierced the belt and a plug was thrown into the ship wrecking the deck below the command room deep inside the hull.
The fifth salvo also scored a hit while Belgrano’s gunners fired over Douala II. The second hit pierced the hull under the torpedo tubes and exploded beneath the after conning tower wrecking all communications aft and causing a large fire below-deck. Gunnery Officer Teniente de Navio Salvador corrected the range and the next salvo (A, C and Y turrets) and was rewarded by two hits on Douala II. Both hit the main belt near the top edge, one shell penetrated and exploded just forward of X turret’s barbette causing some damage and the other shell prematurely detonated on the belt and caused a large dent which cracked the backing plates but the armour itself held.



Capitan Halke realised that the Belgrano was marginally faster and was edging away; he altered course two points to starboard to open the range to 10,500 metres in order to target the weaker deck armour to better effect and ordered the RSAN Javelin to attack from the opposite quarter to split the Belgrano’s fire. As Halke made his turn the Belgrano shuddered with another hit aft. The African gun crews now had the range and straddled Belgrano with the next two salvoes; splinters from near misses hit S2 100mm mount and the after director. As the Belgrano gained a lead the arcs closed and Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro had to alter his course to starboard. At least two shells hit the Douala II from the next three salvoes, both hit the main deck armour and both shells failed to penetrate and instead ricocheted into the hull. One smashed the forward uptakes but speed was not reduced. The Douala II was still holding her own against the bigger cruiser. About six 100mm shells had hit but most caused no damage to either the belt or the deck armour but one did jam a triple torpedo mount and another wrecked the catapult.
The accurate gunfire directed by the after 100mm director was cut short as a 150mm from Douala II hit the base of the after secondary director, the shell went right through the structure with splinters killing or injuring six gun crew on the 37mm mount below and five sailors in the director. Shortly after two further 150mm shells from Douala II smashed into aft hull above the armour belt and exploding inside the hull on contact with the sloped main deck armour. X turret was jammed and the magazine flooded for safety and a large fire started in the crew spaces fed by mattresses and other combustible items which forced the evacuation of all but the steering spaces. Douala’s 105mm guns succeeded in knocking out S2 100mm mount with a direct hit and other shells smashed the ship’s boats into matchwood. In return the Belgrano scored two hits above Douala’s main belt causing casualties and causing fresh fires. During this time the portside 100mm guns had given RSAN Javelin a hot reception and although the enemy scored two hits with gunfire which caused little damage the Javelin was hit three times forward and her A mount wrecked and the bridge sprayed with splinters which killed four officers, including the Captain, and injuring six crewmen. The destroyer then withdrew surrounded by 100mm straddles.
At this point fate took a turn...

[To be continued]

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
At this point fate took a turn...

Dun dun de dunnnnn!

Go General Belgrano, be more fortunate than your namesake in the Falklands War!

The Final Part

Teniente de Navio Salvador got nine guns ready and fired another salvo just as the news of the loss of X turret reached him. Three shells hit the Douala II, one or possibly two hit near the bottom or just under the main belt. The ship was high in the water due to her low fuel status. The belt buckled and a large hole was ripped open which admitted water to the forward portside boiler room. Speed was reduced to 25kts and more flooding was reported aft. Capitan Halke now had to act fast, he ordered smoke and turned away to starboard his after guns continuing to fire and hitting Belgrano twice, once on the face of Y turret which jammed the elevation gear of the right-hand gun, the other shell being a dud but still causing havoc amidships. Three torpedoes were fired before an Argentine 100mm hit wiped out most of the torpedo crew but Marlboro easily manoeuvred out of the way of the incoming tracks and in doing so upset the African gunners’ aim.

Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro declined to follow Douala II too closely and instead made a wide arc to starboard opening the range to 12,000 metres. The smoke obscured the Douala well and no hits were observed from the next three half-salvoes. Douala maintained a sporadic output of shells from her after guns. As Halke closed in with RSAN Rio Cebolatti and RSAN Javelin (having made a 200 degree arc now roughly heading south) the port generator room flooded and the ship lost 35% of its electrical power. Speed was little more than 21kts and the Belgrano had enough of a clear aim to fire three quick salvoes from A,B and C turrets (Y turret’s magazines had been evacuated by now owing to smoke inhalation) and three shells smashed into the hull and two straddled the stricken cruiser. The first 150mm shell entered the hull near the base of the after funnel and exploded on the main deck causing blast damage to these areas but not piercing the armour. The second struck the lower forward superstructure near-missing the twin 20mm mount and exploding inside the hull wrecking the lower steering position and destroying the crowded infirmary killing 27 sailors. The third 150mm shell exploded against X turret’s barbette above the deck, it failed to fully penetrate but a steel plug entered the barbette jamming the hoists and a powder charge ignited, the flash-tight doors either end held fast and the danger passed. The gun crew quickly scrambled out.
RSAN Javelin made another attempted torpedo attack and this time launched the last of her torpedoes, none of which hit and Capitan de Navio Marlboro easily avoided them.

Douala II fought back, Capitan Halke emerged from the smoke, at 11:03 A and B turrets opened fire at 9,000 metres range, two shells from Douala II hit Belgrano amidships. Both shells ripped into the main belt and bored right through sending splinters and steel slugs deep into the ship, some of these reached the after turbine rooms injuring six engineers but not stopping the turbines. The after uptakes were holed and the boiler rooms beneath damaged by splinters. Halke then turned to starboard to escape but after another salvo turned under a smoke screen a full 270 degrees as the Belgrano struggled to turn in a tight arc to come alongside Douala II on the port side. Two 105mm shells smashed into the Belgrano’s after superstructure destroying a twin 37mm mount and in revenge Belgrano's A turret managed to bear just enough to fire her guns. Belgrano’s portside 100mm guns engaged the RSAN Rio Cebolatti but the enemy backed away after firing a few shots from her forward guns. RSAN Javelin also fired a few long-range salvoes.
As both ships briefly came onto a parallel course both ships fired a salvo from whatever remaining guns were still working. Belgrano was hit by a 150mm shell which penetrated the hull, ricocheted off the forward uptakes and exited the deck without exploding. Another 105mm shell bored into the after conning tower killing all inside. The Douala II suffered two near-misses and one shell hit near the after 105mm guns sending a great plume of flame and smoke into the air as the shell ignited the 105mm ready-use magazine which, luckily, was nearly empty but the blast still wrecked the upper deck and the mounts had their armour shields ripped free. Few of the gun crews here survived and the blast wrecked the after HA director and threw the compass platform high into the air.
Teniente de Navio Salvador screamed over the ship’s telephone system “We’ve got her! What a hit! Did you see that! She’s blowing up!” The Douala II veered to starboard beneath the smoke and X turret fired at the Belgrano. Once again Marlboro declined to follow and stood off to open the range and fired three half-salvoes into the smoke. None of these shells found the enemy ship. The Douala II briefly reappeared ablaze aft and her X turret fired for the last time at 11:17. The massive explosion aft had knocked out the aft diesel generator and the shock tripped the fuses supplying the after end of the ship. The main gun hoists stopped and the emergency lighting came on in the magazine handling rooms but most of the pumps were out of action and water flooded in from the earlier underwater hit. Her list got worse and the starboard forward boiler room also flooded. Her speed slowed to 15 knots and as Belgrano got back to a parallel course at 10,200 metres range Teniente de Navio Salvador aimed all three forward turrets at the defenceless ship.

Suddenly Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro over the telephone shouted, “Cease fire, Teniente Salvador. Ready guns but do not open fire. It is enough. Signaller use the signal lamp. Send; you have fought a brave battle and have been a worthy opponent. Your ship is crippled, there is no point fighting to the end. Many a brave man could be spared this day. We shall ceasefire and withdraw and will not attack your consorts. If you need aid send out boats and we will pick up your men. Good luck.”
Capitan Halke stepped out of the conning tower onto the shattered bridge and ordered a reply, “Am abandoning ship. Friendly ships will rescue my men. You will not be fired upon. You are an honourable foe and we thank you for your compassion.” Seconds later signal lamps passed the message to the RSAN Javelin and RSAN Rio Cebolatti to break off their attacks. The RSAN Rio Cebolatti closed on Douala II’s port side and began picking up wounded men as the cruiser burned and listed. By 11:40 all the surviving men were safely aboard and Capitan Halke was the last to leave as the ship began to capsize. Shortly after her torpedo magazine exploded and she went down at 11:58. The Belgrano had already departed to the south but had left some supplies floating in a dinghy [Note 6].

Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro now had a dilemma. The enemy cruiser was crippled and sinking and the convoy escort was battered and dispersed, should he now go after the defenceless merchants? His radio crew picked up a transmission when the Douala II opened fire giving away his position. Were there more cruisers out there or more en-route? Why where there no more destroyers in the defensive screen? Had they been detached for some reason and recalled back to the convoy? Should he risk his already damaged ship against a fresh enemy? He also had to take into account reports of an African carrier group operating in these waters. He knew his own intelligence had been faulty, they had not warned of a cruiser with the convoy. What else did they not know?
He paced the conning tower and turned to his First Officer, “Steer new course 240 degrees, speed 28 knots, stand-by all guns. Recall the floatplane and keep those damage reports coming to me. I want all ammunition expenditure figures in five minutes. Let’s get clear before more enemy ships arrive on the scene.” With that he stepped out onto the splinter damaged open bridge and gripped the smashed compass as he stared at the huge pall of smoke receding to the northeast. “Signaller. Send a message to Naval HQ. Engaged convoy and sank two merchant ships, engaged enemy cruiser Douala Two class, enemy ship crippled and sinking and two escorts sunk, convoy scattered, am returning home with battle damage, two turrets wrecked. Here follows estimate of convoy position and speed. Add our position to that and send it top priority.”
Capitan de Navio Nico Marlboro turned once again to his First Officer, “Well Carlos, let the submarine fleet take care of the merchants, it will be hours before they get into order again. We have crippled most of the escort, we’ve done enough for one day. If we engage again in this state it would be too close run. Keep a sharp lookout, the enemy may come for us. I’m going to tour the ship.” [Note 7]

The two remaining African frigates and RSAN Javelin managed to reform a mini-convoy with the three damaged ships and five others. Most of the faster ships headed for Montevideo independently and the slower ones took a more northerly route. The RSAN Rio Tacuari lost all power and was slowly sinking, she could not be towed and so was scuttled and her crew taken off. The 9th Destroyer Squadron from St Helena was just an hour away from the battle and was to take over escort duties from the departed 6th Destroyer Flotilla and comprised the RSAN Naja, RSAN Death Adder, and RSAN Maticora. They made a brief sweep for the Belgrano but at dusk returned and later escorted the slower convoy of reformed ships. On the 23rd they made a depth-charge attack on a suspected submarine contact, no Argentine submarine was engaged that day so historians tend to believe the ASDIC echo was a false return.
Once news of the battle arrived in Montevideo the CinC South America began an all-out search for the General Belgrano which was believed to be seriously damaged and other ships to help escort the remaining merchant ships into harbour. From Buenos Aires the destroyers RSAN Doris and RSAN Doto where sent out and from Montevideo the destroyer RSAN Galateia. The 3rd Battle Squadron with RSAN Mauritius and the cruiser RSAN Port Alfred in support was brought up to readiness to sail but in the event did not.

Although the Argentine submarine Salta entered the general area the convoy was supposed to be in, it failed to spot or sink any merchants and the whole convoy arrived safely bringing with it much needed fuel and materiel for the RSAA [Note 8].


[Note 6] The General Belgrano is now rated 65%. She was not holed under the waterline and so was still watertight but her hull was ravaged by fire and splinters, all the galleys were destroyed, as were 50% of the mess spaces and one generator space.
RSAN Douala II is rated 0% (sunk)
RSAN Javelin is rated 95%
RSAN Rio Olimer Grande is rated 0% (sunk)
RSAN Rio Cebolatti is rated 98%
RSAN Rio Tacuari is rated 0% (scuttled)
RSAN Rio Daymàn is rated 100%

[Note 7]
Capitan de Navio N. Marlboro was never decorated during the war for his actions. The failure to destroy the convoy would haunt the rest of his career. Given the dire situation facing Argentine the convoy was damaged and dispersed but the General Belgrano returned home having failed to sink a single merchant ship. Marlboro felt his destruction of the escort force was a great naval victory and hoped the submarine fleet would deliver the kind of blow it had so far failed to accomplish during the war. However, Argentine intelligence soon found out all of the precious merchants made it safely to port and African propaganda soon exploited this fact. However, Marlboro’s victory over an equal force was equally exploited for propaganda purposes and he was awarded an audience with the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Almirante Peablo, in front of the press photographers but behind the scenes displeasure at his failure meant he did not receive the Order of the Liberator General San Martin Comendador Grade that was instead given to Gunnery Officer Teniente de Navio Salvador. His First Officer and several other seamen also received medals and awards. Notably the 1st Cruiser Squadron Commander Vice Almirante Dominguez, Marlboro’s superior officer, made an able defence stating that the General Belgrano was not battleworthy after her encounter with the Douala II and that any other officer would have made the same choice and instead laid the blame firmly on poor naval intelligence and the submarine arm. Since Dominguez was intensely disliked by Almirante Peablo after pre-war manoeuvres went wrong, and his own career thus jeopardised, this defence had no effect. After a brief inquiry in January 1936 the Naval High Command decided to let Marlboro keep his command of the General Belgrano but soon after repairs were finished he was passed over for promotion, failed in his application to join the Naval Staff and in July 1937 took up command of the new scout cruiser Espora. However, after trials were completed he was given a shore job and took early retirement in 1938 joining the AFNE shipyards as a slipway manager.

[Note 8] The convoy delivered 3,500 tons of marine oil, petrol and avgas, 70 GAZ-3A Gazelle tanks, 24 trucks, 10 crated B-12A Marauder bombers and 13 crated F-6E Swollow fighters as well as several hundred tons of ammunition and food. 1,500 troops, many of them infantry replacements, also safely arrived on a small liner.

Very true, an ugly spot for the captain to be in. You've got serious battle damage, there's a question where enemy reinforcements should be, and your target is getting away: what do you do? Pressing the attack home seems likely to cost the ship, something the Argentine navy can ill afford, but bailing out at this point means the convoy makes it home mostly intact (assuming the two ships hit early on sink, which they didn't). Attacking would also have brought the surviving escorts back into the fray, since the truce would no longer apply. The seaplane could, however, hopefully have warned Capitan Marlboro of approaching hostiles, but could she have outrun the pursuit, that is the question.

Well written! Too bad about Marlboro's career: it seems to me he did the best he could do in the circumstances. As to Captain Halke, he also seems to have fought a good, though unlucky battle; he ought to be commended as well. Really liked the gentlemen's ceasefire bit at the end; an unusual thing to retain...

Just out of curiousity has there ever been a gentlemens ceasefire such as this one in RL?

I think there have been a few occasions where the victor ceased fire and withdrew to permit the rescue of the sinking ship's crew.

The best I can come up with was the Laconia[i]'s sinking, where [i]U-156 went to rescue the passengers, and transmitted:

Quoted

If any ship will assist the ship-wrecked Laconia crew, I will not attack providing I am not being attacked by ship or air forces. I picked up 193 men. 4, 53 South, 11, 26 West. German submarine.

Unfortunately a B-24 bombed them on the second day.

There might be other situations, but I can't recall them offhand.