Lighted flag == neutral?

dfscott · 05-26-10, 08:32 AM

Lately, any contact I see travelling with a lighted flag, I ignore since it's probably neutral. I don't bother making an approach to check the nationality and simply sail on.

Is this is valid assumption or do the allies get tricky sometimes and light their flags?

maillemaker · 05-26-10, 09:10 AM

Yup. If it has lights on, it's neutral. Note that not every ship with lights OUT is enemy.

But my policy is if I'm off the coast of England and it's dark, I sink it.

Steve

Sailor Steve · 05-26-10, 09:39 AM

I'm a cautious, courteous kaleun captain. I always try to identify the flag.

Or maybe I'm just afraid of getting in trouble.

frau kaleun · 05-26-10, 09:49 AM

Speaking of which if something you sank is identified as "SS" Whatever in your patrol logs, does that mean it was American? Can you tell what country a ship belongs to by the "prefix" to the shipname in the logs? I've always assumed MV was British since everything I've sunk up to now has been MV for merchants and HMS for warships.

I know I sank a neutral (it was an ore carrier sailing unlit in an RN-escorted convoy heading directly for Britain, so... yeah) but I'm not sure which neutral country I just started my own private war with.

Jimbuna · 05-26-10, 10:52 AM

In general terms SS=Steam Ship and MV=Motor Vessel, irrespective of country of origin.

frau kaleun · 05-26-10, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

In general terms SS=Steam Ship and MV=Motor Vessel, irrespective of country of origin.

Okay, cool... I was thinking MV meant (British) Merchant Vessel, to distiguish from HMS (RN vessel).

So I guess there's no way to determine from the patrol logs the nationality of whatever I sank. It kept switching from red to grey and back again on the map (I have Contact Color enabled) and I figured that was because the game considered it still too far away to identify nationality at the time.

Could've sworn it was red when I finally got near enough to fire on it but after it sank and I returned to the map the Sunk Ship icon was grey. Well, maybe it wasn't neutral, just not positively id'd at the time of sinking?

05-26-10, 08:32 AM	#1
dfscott Bosun Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Atlanta GA USA Posts: 68 Downloads: 49 Uploads: 0	Lighted flag == neutral? Lately, any contact I see travelling with a lighted flag, I ignore since it's probably neutral. I don't bother making an approach to check the nationality and simply sail on. Is this is valid assumption or do the allies get tricky sometimes and light their flags? __________________

05-26-10, 09:39 AM	#3
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	I'm a cautious, courteous kaleun captain. I always try to identify the flag. Or maybe I'm just afraid of getting in trouble. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

05-26-10, 10:52 AM	#5
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 191,142 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	In general terms SS=Steam Ship and MV=Motor Vessel, irrespective of country of origin. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

05-26-10, 09:10 AM	#2
maillemaker Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,639 Downloads: 75 Uploads: 0	Yup. If it has lights on, it's neutral. Note that not every ship with lights OUT is enemy. But my policy is if I'm off the coast of England and it's dark, I sink it. Steve

05-26-10, 09:49 AM	#4
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	Speaking of which if something you sank is identified as "SS" Whatever in your patrol logs, does that mean it was American? Can you tell what country a ship belongs to by the "prefix" to the shipname in the logs? I've always assumed MV was British since everything I've sunk up to now has been MV for merchants and HMS for warships. I know I sank a neutral (it was an ore carrier sailing unlit in an RN-escorted convoy heading directly for Britain, so... yeah) but I'm not sure which neutral country I just started my own private war with.