Quote:
Originally Posted by gap
Well done on the 2.2.8 release Vecko 
I have been doing some more research on the topic of ensigns, and I have finally found what I was looking for:
This is a picture of a Liberty ship that uboat.net and wrecksite.eu report as SS Benjamin Smith. If this identity is correct, the picture has been taken sometime between November 1942, when the ship was completed, and 23 Jan 1943, when she was sunk by U-175 along the coast of West Africa. Judging by the wake she is clearly that she is underway, and definitely she wears the US flag at the stern flagstaff. Just to say confirm that your recent changes to the flag position are all but inaccurate  |
It's a general rule that ships have their flag at stern when anchored, or leaving/entering harbours. But when they are in high seas, they put the flag at the top of a mast. On your picture, we clearly see that the ship is near land, so probably leaving/entering harbour, or even doing trials (from the waterline, we can deduce that the ship is not carrrying any cargo). Moreover, during war and sailing into convoys, the merchant ships have no reason to raise a flag in high seas, except if they are from neutral countries.