Neutrals flying the Red Ensign? | Forums

[KarlsDonuts]

Playing @ 100%, started a new campaign after being sunk. Sept. 16 1939 I come across a small merchant flying the Red Ensign. I sank it and it is logged as neutral tonnage sunk. Has anyone else observed this or have any comments? .Thanks. BC

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

Well first thoughts would be - didn't WW2 start on something like the 28th Sept 1939?

I know that depending on what base you play out of, you can sail before the war starts and therefore be ready to attack the british at the outbreak of war.

Also you must remember that even today, alot of the world's merchat fleets sail under the red ensign because of the prestege it gives in terms of maritime safety.

Back then I think something like 60%-70% of the world's merchant shipping sailed under the red ensign, so a ship from Brazil could sail under that ensign and be neutral.

Hope this helps a little.

[Virtual_Adept]

Erm, pardon my ignorance, but...

What is this red ensign that is being referred to?

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

The Red Ensign is the British Merchant Fleet Flag.

Red with a union jack in the top corner that attaches to the flagstaff.

All British merchants in the game carry it. It is basically the same as the Royal Navy's White Ensign except that it is red.

[Virtual_Adept]

Oh...that...I was wondering why the Brits had two flags ingame...and why I seldom see a Brit warship with the red one...

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

one hopes you would NEVER see a British warship carring a red ensign. lol

We also havea blue one, but that is for private craft. IE river cruisers, yachts etc. Stuff that dosn't appear in the game. We like to be complicated pmsl!

[BueJack]

Originally posted by Karl_Donitz_Jr:
Well first thoughts would be - didn't WW2 start on something like the 28th Sept 1939?

1 Sep 1939 - Germany invades Poland
3 Sep 1939 - Britain declares war on Germany.

I also thought that KarlsDonuts started WW2 untill I found the date in wikipedia

[lecek]

Just a thought.

When did Canada join the war?

The Canadian flag at the time was almost identical to the british red ensign except that it had a coat of arms in the center.

In the game it is hard to spot this difference from any real range.

If I remember my history correctly it took a few days at least before Canada joined the war on the British side and I have come across Canadian ships in North Sea waters before.

They only gave the Canadians the small and coastal merchants, which is exactly what you found.

[Silva_Bullet]

Or for that matter, any commonwealth nation, depending on the date they declared war. Anyone have specific dates..?

[Virtual_Adept]

I've actually seen a couple of British warships flying the red ensign (not the Canadian flag or any other, I checked the flag with external view as they sank). They were DDs and they happened to be engaging me...it's not my fault that my finger slipped on the fire button...twice (sending them on a one way trip 20,000 leagues under the sea)...