Nailing the colours

Flying another flag was considered to be a legitimate ruse de guerre only until the beginning of the fight.

Indeed, when shot or shrapnel felled a ship's flag (such as by severing the halyard that held it up), her opponent would cease firing and inquire whether she was capitulating.

It became an expression of defiance and willingness to force oneself to fight up to the bitter end.

The practice became a powerful and recurrent propaganda tool during the French Revolutionary Wars.

It was also wrongly claimed that the Vengeur du Peuple had done so during the Glorious First of June, when she had in fact struck.