---
title: A British Cruiser Ramming an Italian Submarine in the Mediterranean - Back Them Up!
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/back-them-up-cruiser-ramming-submarine-1940/
description: A painting shows a camouflaged British cruiser under a White Ensign driving its bow onto an Italian submarine in heavy seas.
section: Collection
---

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3. A British Cruiser Ramming an Italian Submarine in the Mediterranean

[![A British Cruiser Ramming an Italian Submarine in the Mediterranean - Back Them Up!, 1940 UK poster: A painting shows](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/back-them-up-cruiser-ramming-submarine-1940.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/back-them-up-cruiser-ramming-submarine-1940.jpg)

# A British Cruiser Ramming an Italian Submarine in the Mediterranean - Back Them Up!

A painting shows a camouflaged British cruiser under a White Ensign driving its bow onto an Italian submarine in heavy seas, captioned 'A British cruiser ramming an Italian submarine in the Mediterranean', over the slogan 'BACK THEM UP!'. The tell is the single selected success shown as the war at sea, with no losses, and the open-ended imperative that leaves the civilian's task unspecified.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Card stacking](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/card-stacking/)

## Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
A British cruiser ramming an Italian submarine in the Mediterranean

BACK THEM UP!

Printed for H.M. Stationery Office by James Haworth & Brother Ltd., London 51/2400

[signature in the painting:] Marc Stone
```

[← Auxilio Social: Para que en España no haya un niño sin alegría, suscribe una ficha azul (cinema slide)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/auxilio-social-ficha-azul-slide-1940/) ['Better pot-luck with Churchill today than humble pie under Hitler tomorrow' (British Ministry of Food poster) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/better-pot-luck-with-churchill-dont-waste-food-1940/)

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- [Colour lithograph of the Latin text of the Res Gestae Divi Augusti on the wall of the temple of Roma and Augustus at Ancyra, with the heading in large letters (Perrot, Guillaume and Delbet, 1872)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/lithograph-res-gestae-ancyra-heading-0014/) (Roman Empire · 0014 · Card stacking, Glittering generalities)
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