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3 unusual facts about Striking the colors


Gun port

In the Action of 4 August 1800, the large East Indiaman Exeter passed herself as a 74-gun ship of the line when she endeavoured to chase the much stronger French frigate Médée; after sunset, she perfected the illusion by opening and illuminating all her gun ports, whether armed or not; her appearance was so convincing that when she caught up with Médée, the frigate struck as if hopelessly overpowered.

John Foster Williams

At the end of a "smart action" of 35-minutes' duration, "yard arm to yard arm," Active struck her colors and became Hazard's prize, after having suffered 13 killed and 20 wounded out of her 95-man crew.

Striking the colors

On 23 September 1779, Capt. Richard Pearson, RN, of HMS Serapis, nailed the British ensign to the ensign staff with his own hands before going into battle against Continental Navy ship Bonhomme Richard.



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