Re: strike the colors rule

From: "Richard Bell" <rlbell@sympatico.ca>

> I have to agree with Glen.  Historically, ships stopped striking their
> colours in WWI.  Even vessels in totally hopeless situations would
> rather have been sunk then captured.	The prime example being the
> Scharnhorst and Gniesnau vs the Invincible(?) and Indefatigable(?);
the
> german vessels lacked the range and speed to even shoot back, and
their
> armor (while superior) was mooted by battlecruisers' 12 inch guns.

Some interesting examples pro and con:

EMDEN - Light Cruiser eventually struck after running aground and all
weapons disabled (WW1)
RAWALPINDI - an armed merchant cruiser, deliberately charged 2
Battlecruisers
in order to cover the escape of a convoy (WW2).
JERVIS BAY - much the same, only a pocket Battleship rather than 2 BCs.
GLOWWORM - Destroyer that deliberately Rammed a BC to help others
escape.

Quite a few U-boats struck after being disabled, though most were
scuttled.

There is one issue that hasn't been raised. After a ship has taken the
last
hull box, is it
*really* destroyed? Or is it a wreck floating in space? Maybe - except
in
cases of gross
overkill - a ship that takes the last hull box strikes its colours
rather