On 2020-03-02 22:03:53 +0000, Metman2012 said:

Your comment about flags being able to be flown upside down, is
incorrect. More can be flown upside down than not. See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galler...gn_state_flags

Flying a state flag upside down is a statement that the ship so doing
is in trouble. What a French ship would do in this circumstance is
something I've never found out.

Hope this helps.

It did indeed, thank you.
It took me a few moments to find that comment which has been online
since the last week of December without being noticed, it seems.
Given the sentence was borderline gibberish anyway, it has been recast
to make it more interesting and, with thanks, more accurate. I uploaded
it to the server this morning.

I imagine a French ship would do what others do, broadcast a distress
message or launch the equivalent flare. Any bad actors present would be
wise to the flag ruse anyway. FWIW one grandparent was in the Navy and
would be 101 today had he not died before I was born.

Regards,

Asha.