What to do with Americans?

[Ramseur]

It is December 1940 and I have just come across three American Transports, I would usually stop and search but these guys are armed to the teeth with guns fore and aft.
What would you do, or what should I do?

[The cursed Jäger]

Since they are neutral, you can search them without anyfear of being attacked. Yes, even armed neutrals won't attack you.

[athenian]

Shoot them! An armed transport is NOT neutral (why are you armed?!). Besides, on principle, the Americans ran an undeclared war on Germany long before Hitler declared war on them (which was a mistake). For example, American battleships (I forget which two) were part of the hunt for the Bismarck, were tracking the latter's movements, and passing info to the Brits. So, yeah, I sink the Americans wherever I find them.

[Horst Marines]

rip Bismarck :(

[The cursed Jäger]

In the game they are neutral. I have inspected US C3's without being attacked. They are neutral in-game. Only if they are escorted by enemy warships, they are not neutral.

Originally posted by B129 Preview 1 Patchlog:

- Enemy merchants that travel alone now often fly a false flag for deception. This can be uncovered by inspecting their ship or figuring this out from the position and course. Note: convoyed merchant ships escorted by Allied warships never fly a false flag and can be always sunk, regardless of the country of origin (even neutral).

[Ramseur]

Well it seems to me that if I searched them and ordered them to evacuate their ships, their six deck guns would blow me to bits.
So it is sink them or let them sail by. They appear to be sailing from either Portugal or Spain and heading West to America.

[Sabre_One]

Originally posted by Ramseur:

Well it seems to me that if I searched them and ordered them to evacuate their ships, their six deck guns would blow me to bits.
So it is sink them or let them sail by. They appear to be sailing from either Portugal or Spain and heading West to America.

They won't attack if you order them off the boat during an inspection. I've done it a few times.

[VipreRX]

Originally posted by Ramseur:

They appear to be sailing from either Portugal or Spain and heading West to America.

That would be a clear cut case of neutral shipping if true. If they were sailing north I'd sink them.

Originally posted by athenian:

Shoot them! An armed transport is NOT neutral (why are you armed?!)

To defend themselves from crazy captains who incorrectly think they don't have any right to be armed.

[Ramseur]

Well their papers were in order, one of their skippers was a bit rude and I did consider shooting him but if I shot everyone who was rude to me there would be no world population problem, so I let him live and sail on.
@VipreRX - good advice.

[Geandily]

I may be wrong, but when reading a historical UBOAT log I believe there was a mid 1939~ standing order that all non-friendly armed ships (neutral or not) found within certain latitudes near the UK should be sunk. If they are neutral why would they be armed?

Has anyone been punished for sinking a neutral C3?

[PafunaMT]

Originally posted by Geandily:

...Has anyone been punished for sinking a neutral C3?

I sure have, hitting one sailing westward ostensibly from Lisbon. May 1941, I believe.

[VipreRX]

Originally posted by Geandily:

If they are neutral why would they be armed?

What does one have to do with the other? Country A and B are at war, Country C can literally do anything they want outside of helping A or B, including arming their merchants, and it's none of A and B's business. That's why the order says "within certain latitudes near the UK" because the help and therefore violation of neutrality is implied.

[Dingo]

I cant for the life of me figure out how to get a vessel to stop so i CAN board them, let alone how to board. I keep seeing all these awesome post about things you can do, but the game doesnt have any instructions on how to achieve them - ie taking prisioners from rafts, boarding ships (unmanned and damaged or as above getting one to stop so i can board and search).
Have plenty of hours and have been trying a number of things, but knowing me I'm probably just missing one small thing.

[VipreRX]

Get close to a little white lifeboat, slow to a stop or at least speed 1, click on the lifeboat or at the top right you should see a box that says "Interaction Nearby".

Get close to a neutral flagged ship, doesn't work yet for tankers, slow to a stop or speed 1, at the top right you should see a box that says "Interaction Nearby".

Only works on the unstable branch.

[Dingo]

Originally posted by VipreRX:

Only works on the unstable branch.

Ah, this was my mistake. I see 'unstable' in an already alpha/beta game and think "yeah, that's gonna be REALLY messy" but would you think its worth trying?

[VipreRX]

I'm enjoying it. Hit the occasional bug now and then but overall it's doing alright.