United Kingdom: Royal Naval Submarine Service (original) (raw)

A Jolly Roger flag, but defaced by a number of varying symbols dependent upon the type of action and used unofficially by the submarine service of the British Royal Navy to signify that the boat flying it had engaged an enemy (see also 'defaced').

It should be further noted that a torpedo attack which resulted in an enemy vessel being sunk was symbolized by a bar or torpedo, with the number of successful attacks matched by the number of symbols. A successful gun engagement was shown by a pair of cross cannons and an enemy plane downed by the silhouette of an aircraft, with each occurrence being represented by a star. Assistance in a clandestine operation (the landing of agents or commandos) was marked by the display of a dagger, with any further such operations calling for either stars or more daggers.
Christopher Southworth, 22 February

I've come across a fuller list of these defacements, that I copied down from the displays at the RN Submarine Museum at Gosport a few years ago: