Rowan-

Evidently the Germans still believed in the traditional etiquette of lowering their "Dutch" flag and raising their national ensign before blazing away, or so they claimed afterwards.

I don't think anyone bothers to do that now. We just send a missile to the GPS coordinates and hope for the best (or worst).

I certainly am fond of the Patrick O'Brian series, having re-read it several times.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble