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Pour l’Honneur le Pavillon: Honor and Warning Shots for Iran
Back in the age of fighting sail (a topic I enjoy writing of), occasions would occur where one warship was totally overmatched by an opponent. A sloop-of-war carrying twelve guns and capable of firing a broadside of but 36 pounds of iron shot might find itself being overhauled by a ship-of-the-line carrying 74 guns and capable of firing a broadside of 750 pounds. (Yes, that could happen with the right wind speeds and directions.)
The ship-of-the-line would typically fire a warning shot ahead of the smaller ship. This was an invitation to surrender, to be followed up with calling cards in the form of iron shot if the invitation was declined. Given the disparity in combat ability, there was no dishonor in the weaker ship striking its colors and surrendering to an obviously superior force.
Some commanders could simply not stomach the thought of surrendering without even firing one shot, offering some resistance, no matter how token. These captains would fire one broadside – carefully aimed to miss – and then quickly haul down their flags (indicating surrender). Often the broadside would be fired by the guns on the disengaged side, away from the enemy. But always they would miss. Actually hitting the ship you were surrendering to invited a devastating response.
This practice was so common it gained a name: firing pour l’honneur le pavillon – for the honor of the flag. As you might guess by the name, it was most frequently practiced by French warships.
Many fine old maritime and military traditions were ground away by the wars of the twentieth century. However it appears to me the tradition of firing pour l’honneur le pavillon experienced a revival this week. On Thursday Iran received a warning shot in the form of a precision missile strike against their most senior general. Yesterday Iran replied – by firing a salvo of missiles apparently calculated to avoid injury to the personnel of the nation they call the Great Satan, which seemed to preceded by warning to Iraqi and US officials that missiles were incoming. The attack was immediately followed by a declaration from Iran that no further strikes would follow, so long as Iran was not attacked.
It seems suspiciously like firing pour l’honneur le pavillon to me. What say the Ricochetti?
Published in History
Sea,
I think you’ve got it exactly. Of course, there was always the case of the surprise.
I don’t think the Iranians have this kind of fighting spirit. More indicative of a free people. In fact, the average Iranian would like nothing better than to be rid of the mullahs. If given the chance they just might mutiny.
Regards,
Jim
Fascinating, @seawriter. I think you are spot on!
Indeed. One must save face.
Le Art of le Deal
Ayatollahs. Like archbishops, not parish priest/teacher mullah.
Yes, this looks like face-saving symbolic action, and President Trump, in his address today seems to agree with your assessment. He is not ordering the broadside.
Did I miss the part where Iran struck its colors?
Not that we expected them to.
So we had the fireworks early for the Fourth?
I’m sure the New York Times was going with that but you beat them to it. Bravo!
What is the newspaper equivalent of pour l’honneur le pavillon?
Probably. Then again we will not know if they really did for a month or two. Actions speak louder than words, but if they really do not attack again, then Scott Adams take on yesterday (Operation Symbolic Revenge) will have been spot on.
Pour l’honneur le titre de journal?
It looks like the French were much better at firing pour l’honneur le pavillon than are the Iranians. I doubt that the French ever accidentally sank their own ship while firing pour l’honneur le pavillon.
This analysis is likely correct, as is speculation that the Boeing was killed by Iranian air defense.
Were I POTUS, I would not extend the hand of peace as Mr Trump has done today. That was the Christian thing, but not the Machiavellian thing. Our enemies need to fear us. I would incinerate one Iranian air force base for each missile fired at us, perhaps after warning Iran that the missiles were en route so that people could evacuate. The resulting complete humiliation of the mullahs might just lead to their removal, and would let the world know that we are serious about defending our troops and our civilization.
George HW’s refusal to take out Saddam in 1991 was an unforgivable blunder. Mr Trump may be making a similar blunder today out of an abundance of goodness.
MeI too. But it would be to satisfy my wrath and not for the good of anyone.Translation please?
And then again, the Iranian gunners may just suck. Weak aim and accidentally shooting down a civilian airliner at the same time would seem to indicate broad incompetence.
It is argued that because they hit the Saudi oil refineries, they must have missed on purpose this time. I think the Saudi hit was done by the elite Quds guys operating outside of Iran whereas the latest launch was launched by the apparently lesser quality regular military.
Jim Geraghty today notes how seamlessly the NYT has moved to accept the Iranian role in the Saudi refinery attack which up till now was “unproven” warmongering propaganda from the Trump Administration. I guess it is useful now to hype Iranian competence to hype the risk of war due to
Bush’sTrump’s cowboy tactics.There are major journalistic awards waiting for the first of the MSM wankerati to explain how Putin wanted Soleimani gone and pulled his lever on Trump.
I’m not convinced. If these were guided missiles (I don’t know if they were) then perhaps we jammed them.
As for the French striking their colors, I would offer the contrasting story of Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars.
He fled to North America with other lesser nobility during the Terror. They planned to build a refuge for the queen along the Susquehanna before news of her execution.
Napoleon recognized that much of the French naval officer corps had been wiped out by the guillotine. So he issued a pardon and an invitation for a commission for those who returned. Dupetit Thours accepted and was given command of the Tonnant, an 80-gun ship of the line. At the battle of the Nile where the French fleet was surprised at anchor by Nelson’s crazy bold nighttime attack, the French flagship L’Orient was vaporized in a spectacular magazine explosion. The Tonnant was right behind and soon found herself with British warships on all sides.
DuPetit Thours refused to surrender and directed fire to hammer his adversaries. He lost an arm and both legs to cannon fire, ordered that he be stood up in a flour or sand barrel (used to make the deck less slippery from all the blood in those kinds of battles) and continued to give orders until death, including that the flag be nailed to the mast so the colors could not be struck. That was one very, very tough guy. Six French warships have been named after him.
Interesting side note: The British finally took the Tonnant, repaired, refitted and made it the HMS Tonnant which was the later flagship of the Chesapeake fleet that attacked Fort McHenry in 1814. From her deck, an American lawyer on board to negotiate prisoner releases witnessed the bombardment and saw the defiant oversized flag still flying. His name was Francis Scott Key.
Very brave, but yet fighting for Napoleon.
So what would this Iranian surrender comprise?
Not shooting at Americans?
Not supporting Hezbollah?
Not supporting the Houthis?
Not supporting Assad?
The direct translation would be, “For the honor of the title of (the) journal.” But in English, the term used for that area at the top of the front page of the newspaper that has the title uses a nautical term, so, “For the honor of the Masthead.”
Enough of your misogyny, now! 😉
Good start!
Another twenty-thirty ‘not’s’ and it’s a treaty!
I think some are overlooking that firing a broadside pour l’honneur le pavillon is done to end a battle, not a war.
Good point. And indeed, our war with Iran continues.
Maybe the Iranian commission investigating the incident will recommend wider eye slats on chadors and burkas worn by female radar operators and missile control center operators.