Sink oil rigs?

[Nailfoot]

Shuld I sink every oil rig I find? I am in the South China Sea compaign, the oil rig is in enemy waters so I assume it is not on my team.

Is there a way to tell for sure?

[Killerfish Games]

You are not authorised to conduct unrestricted submarine warfare.
Sinking civilian shipping (even if of a hostile nation) or oil rigs can result in court martial in a campaign.

[Nailfoot]

So how do I know "civilian" merchant ships that I cannot sink from "non-civilian" ones that I can sink?

I sunk a merchant ship in a mission and did not get credit for its tonnage. I assume it was of the type I was not supposed to sink, but how can I tell?

[Justicier10-7]

As a general rule of thumb, if the merchant shows up with red text on your tacmap, then it's fair game. Another way to tell is to visually inspect the ship with periscope for military equipment, or green/olive drab military containers instead of the usual multi-colored shipping containers with logos.

[boris.glevrk]

Originally posted by Killerfish Games:

You are not authorised to conduct unrestricted submarine warfare.
Sinking civilian shipping (even if of a hostile nation) or oil rigs can result in court martial in a campaign.

Wait, seriously? You did have a system for that?

[Nailfoot]

Originally posted by Justicier:

As a general rule of thumb, if the merchant shows up with red text on your tacmap, then it's fair game. Another way to tell is to visually inspect the ship with periscope for military equipment, or green/olive drab military containers instead of the usual multi-colored shipping containers with logos.

Oops! Anytime I find merchant ships, I sink them. They are always green. So, basically, most merchant ships you see should not be sunk?

[Killerfish Games]

Originally posted by Nailfoot:

Oops! Anytime I find merchant ships, I sink them. They are always green. So, basically, most merchant ships you see should not be sunk?

Correct. Unless they are sailing in formation with escorts and even then you should prioritise the ones with military cargo (green containers, tanks etc).

[Cynical Jester]

I look at the flags, if its a chinese flag I sink it. If it's a white flag I let them go.

[Majin]

This is still not clear to me. I had a mission that called for sinking merchants carrying military equipment. They showed up green on the tactical map so I let them go as I thought they were civilian. Sure enough I failed the mission after I sank only the escorts. Do merchants ever show up red on the map? Maybe after checking with periscope? Do we look at the flag they are sporting or just the equipment they are carrying or both?

[toinkertoy]

Naw flags can be misleading, even if it’s flagged from an enemy nation doesn’t mean you can sink them, they might be carrying non-military supplies! I thought almost always the military merchants would be traveling with some kind of warship escorts.

[rokvam]

Originally posted by Majin:

This is still not clear to me. I had a mission that called for sinking merchants carrying military equipment. They showed up green on the tactical map so I let them go as I thought they were civilian. Sure enough I failed the mission after I sank only the escorts. Do merchants ever show up red on the map? Maybe after checking with periscope? Do we look at the flag they are sporting or just the equipment they are carrying or both?

In the mission you refer to, they both show up green, but they sail in a convoy (if you can call two ships in a coloumn a convoy), and they are escortet by a submarine. In this mission, VID is needed to identify the target correctly, as only one of the ships carry war material. You can VID from external view after 95 % sollution is acchieved, if sneaking in close to do it through the periscope does not suit you / or is to boring.

The target can be one of two ships... A RO-RO with visible APC's, tanks and trucks on deck, or a ship hauling containers clad in green tarp. One of the two ships carry multi colured containers, and should not be targeted.

My rule of thumb otherwise in game is: only sink merchants if they fly the Chineese flag in tandem with visible war material on deck, or visible containers covered in green tarp on deck.

But that's just me.

- Dolphin 48

[Majin]

Originally posted by rokvam:

Originally posted by Majin:

This is still not clear to me. I had a mission that called for sinking merchants carrying military equipment. They showed up green on the tactical map so I let them go as I thought they were civilian. Sure enough I failed the mission after I sank only the escorts. Do merchants ever show up red on the map? Maybe after checking with periscope? Do we look at the flag they are sporting or just the equipment they are carrying or both?

In the mission you refer to, they both show up green, but they sail in a convoy (if you can call two ships in a coloumn a convoy), and they are escortet by a submarine. In this mission, VID is needed to identify the target correctly, as only one of the ships carry war material. You can VID from external view after 95 % sollution is acchieved, if sneaking in close to do it through the periscope does not suit you / or is to boring.

The target can be one of two ships... A RO-RO with visible APC's, tanks and trucks on deck, or a ship hauling containers clad in green tarp. One of the two ships carry multi colured containers, and should not be targeted.

My rule of thumb otherwise in game is: only sink merchants if they fly the Chineese flag in tandem with visible war material on deck, or visible containers covered in green tarp on deck.

But that's just me.

- Dolphin 48

Ok that makes sense thanks for clarifying

[petejg5]

In the Norwegian Sea campaign I can imagine the Soviets holding no quater to sinking any western shipping. Also ever heard of trawlers being used as spy or ASW ships during the cold war? Plus I've just finished a book about the German U Boats in the Caribbean during WW2 but I'm sure there was a bit saying that if a ship is carrying food one trip there is nothing to stop it carrying arms and ammo next trip. Like I see no harm in sinking any merchant vessel if it is flagged to the enemy or the enemy's ally. A tanker maybe carrying diesel that is to be used by civilians but surely a far bit of that diesel is going to be used for tanks or other warships. Also a ship carrying food, some of that food will be bound for the frontline and surely you'll want to diminish the enemy's ablity to fight in anyway.

Anyway this is just a game and the fact I work on oil tankers makes my statement a bit ironic I guess.