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General Chase is a signal in the Royal Navy’s lexicon of fleet orders; releasing ships from a line of battle, or other formation, in order to pursue a retreating or beaten foe. The signal is appropriate to the end of an action, when victory is certain; it allows all ships to break formation and act independently in order to capture or destroy enemy vessels. The signal is achieved by flying signal flags "2","W", and "N"
On occasion the freedom of manoeuvre granted by a General Chase signal has been used to justify a hot chase, where enemy vessels are unlawfully pursued from international waters into the sovereign territory of neutral states.