Does the Royal Navy paint battle honors or campaign ribbons on a ship's superstructure and turrets?
Short answerNormally no. Battle honours appear on boards, while exterior decoration more often consists of informal mottos, emblems, or other crew artwork.
NotesRoyal Navy ships normally display battle honours on boards inside the ship. Tankards and other objects can commemorate particular events. Some Second World War crews also painted decorations, including mottos, crew emblems, and insults aimed at their opponents. Such artwork was particularly associated with smaller craft, whose lack of official names encouraged crews to give them an individual identity.