Showing a literal false flag was later deemed an acceptable practice during naval warfare according to international maritime laws, provided that a vessel displayed its true flag before commencing an attack.
What convoluted logic was used to come up with that? How long does it have to be displayed before attack?
Written by the victors.
Au contraire, written by the participants who agree it's in their mutual best interest not to have certain things on the table. Evils agreed to be too evil even for war, or guidelines that result in less utter fucking carnage when mutually followed.
Camoflage is a legitimate war tactic. So long as you didn't fire before raising your actual flag, it was a legitimate ruse-de-guerre to get closer to an enemy.
Also where the phrase "showing your true colors" comes from. It's pretty neat how phrases centuries or decades removed from relevance still have a place in language!
and what if you started cannoning before they change flag
If you suspect them, you could demand they surrender and prepare to be boarded, and legally give them warning shot, and then shoot them if they don't comply.
If the ship sailing under false colors began to shoot under another flag, that's a War Crime.
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