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Aprize of war (also calledspoils of war, bounty orbooty) is a piece of enemy property or land seized by a belligerent party during or after a war or battle. This term was used nearly exclusively in terms of captured ships during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Rules defining how prizes were claimed and administered originated before there were organized government navies and were an outgrowth ofprivateering.[1] Current international treaties provide for the retention of personal property by captured soldiers as well as issues of personal equipment in their possession when captured (including clothing, helmets, rank insignia andmedals, and protective equipment such asgas masks), but excluding certain issue items such as weapons, horses, maps, and military documents. Non-personal equipment, vehicles, artillery pieces, ships, stockpiles of food and other material belongs to the capturing state and it may be used without any restriction.[2]
The28th Virginia battle flag, from theAmerican Civil War, is aConfederate battle flag that belonged to the28th Virginia Infantry Regiment. Captured by the1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment at theBattle of Gettysburg, the flag was brought to Minnesota and exhibited atthe state's capitol for several years before passing into the permanent collection of theMinnesota Historical Society after 1896 where it has remained since. Although various groups inVirginia have requested that the flag be returned, beginning as early as 1960,Minnesota has repeatedly declined to return it, with GovernorJesse Ventura asking "Why? I mean, we won."[3][4]
Prizes in World War II included a German submarine later calledHMS Graph, andU-505 which was captured by elements of theUnited States Navy in a task force commanded by then-CaptainDaniel V. Gallery.U-505 currently is amuseum ship at theMuseum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Although not taken in combat, threeGorch Fock-class barques were confiscated from Germany asreparation prizes at the conclusion of World War II, one of which remains in US service asUSCGC Eagle.
The passenger shipHMT Empire Windrush, which had a notable role in the post-war history of the United Kingdom, was originally a German ship, confiscated after the war.
The Russian shipKruzenshtern, the largest traditional sailing vessel currently in operation, was originally the German shipPadua, before being taken over by the Soviet Union in 1946.
Quantities of Iraqi military material captured during theGulf War are held by US museums.[5]
Material captured as a result of theFalklands War was reused by theBritish Armed Forces. This included twoAgusta A109 helicopters captured by the BritishSAS from theArgentine Army, which were then used by the BritishArmy Air Corps until 2007. Oerlikon GDF-002 AA guns and Skyguard FC radars were put into service by theRoyal Auxiliary Air Force for some 10 years.[6] After this, the radars were deployed by theRAF Police to detect illegal low flying,[7] and are still used at the RAF's electronic warfare range atRAF Spadeadam.[8]