Flags of the Navy 1933-1945 (Germany)

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Flags of the Navy 1933-1945 (Germany)

deutsche kriegsmarine
Last modified: 2012-09-05 by pete loeser
Keywords: third reich | rank | grand admiral | general admiral | admiral | vice admiral | rear admiral | iron cross | cross: formy
(black) | batons: crossed | eagle (gold) | swords: 2 (crossed) | swords: 2 (gold) | disc (black) | discs: 2 |
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On this page:
Introduction
Grand Admiral's Flag - Grossadmiralsflagge
Flag of the Inspector Admiral of the Navy of the Greater German Reich with the Rank of Grand
Admiral 1943-1945 - Flagge des Admiralinspekteurs der Kriegsmarine des Grossdeutschen
Reiches im Range eines Grossadmirals
Flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, if not a Grand Admiral - Flagge des
Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine, sofern er nicht Grossadmiral ist
General Admiral's Flag - Generaladmiralsflagge
Admiral's Flag - Admiralsflagge
Car Pennant for Admirals - Dienstwimpel am Kraftwagen fr Admirale
Vice Admiral's Flag - Vizeadmiralsflagge
Rear Admiral's Flag - Konteradmiralsflagge
Car Command Flag for Navy Fortress Commanders in Staff Officer Positions and Navy Regimental
Commanders - Kommandozeichen am Kraftwagen fr Festungskommandanten als
Stabsoffiziersstellungen und Regimentskommandeure der Kriegsmarine
Car Command Pennant for Navy Division Commander
Car Command Pennant for Navy Brigade Commander
Car Command Pennant for Navy Regiment Commander
Car Command Pennant for Navy Batallion Commanders
- Kommandozeichen am Kraftwagen fr Abteilungskommandeure der Kriegsmarine
Car Pennant for Other Members of the Navy - Dienstwimpel am Kraftwagen fr die brigen
Angehrigen der Kriegsmarine
Navy Church Pennant c1940 - Kriegsmarine Kirche Wimpel
See also:
The Iron Cross
Rank Flags of the Imperial Navy 1871-1919
Flags of the Armed Forces 1933-1945 - Wehrmacht
War Ensign: 1933-1935 and 1935-1945
Third Reich 1933-1945
Index of all German Pages

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Introduction
The Nazis continued the use of the Naval rank flags which the Weimar Republic had inherited from the
Imperial Navy. In addition they installed 3 new ones: Generaladmiralsflagge, Grossadmiralsflagge and
Flagge des Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine, sofern er nicht Grossadmiral ist.
Norman Martin, January 1998

Grand Admiral's Flag

Grossadmiralsflagge

1:1 Image by Jaume Oll

Like the Imperial Grossadmiral's Flag with a gold Nazi national eagle replacing the imperial crown.
Illustrated in Flaggenbuch 1939, pl. IV.
Norman Martin, January 1998

Flag of the Inspector Admiral of the Navy of the Greater German

Reich
with the Rank of Grand Admiral 1943-1945
Flagge des Admiralinspekteurs der Kriegsmarine des Grossdeutschen Reiches
im Range eines Grossadmirals 1943-1945

1:1 Image by Jaume Oll

The Grossadmiral's Flag with a broad blue border. Introduced 30th January 1943. Illustrated in
Flaggenbuch 1939, pl. IVa (color) and Davis 1975, p. 127 (black and white).
Norman Martin, January 1998

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Flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, if not a Grand

Admiral
Flagge des Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine, sofern er nicht Grossadmiral ist

1:1 Image by Jaume Oll

The Admiral's flag with gold crossed swords behind the Iron Cross. Illustrated in Flaggenbuch 1939, pl.
IV.
Norman Martin, January 1998

General Admiral's Flag

Generaladmiralsflagge

1:1 Image by Jaume Oll

The Admiral's flag with gold crossed swords in the lower hoist. Illustrated Flaggenbuch 1939, pl. IV
(color) and Davis 1975, p. 125 (black and white).
Norman Martin, January 1998

Admiral's Flag
Admiralsflagge

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1:1 Image by Marcus Schmger

On a white field a narrow Iron Cross whose arms reach the edge of the flag. (...) This flag was probably in
use as early as 1867, certainly by the mid 1880s and has continued in use until today, except for the few
years in which there was no German Navy, and for East Germany from 1945 until 1990. Illustrated in
Flaggenbuch 1939 p. 4.
Norman Martin, 1998

Car Pennant for Admirals

Dienstwimpel am Kraftwagen fr Admirale

Image by Jaume Oll

Like the Car Pennant for Other Members of the Navy, but with a wider gold border, decorated with
swastikas.
Norman Martin, March 1998

Vice Admiral's Flag 1867-1945 and since 1956

Vizeadmiralsflagge

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1:1 Image by Marcus Schmger

The admiral's flag with a black ball in the upper hoist. This flag was probably in use as early as 1867,
certainly by the mid 1880s and has continued in use until today, except for the few years in which there
was no German Navy, and for East Germany from 1945 until 1990. Illustrated in Flaggenbuch 1939 p. 4.
Norman Martin, 1998
The diameter of the black disc should be 9/50ths of the flag's height, according to Flaggenbuch 1939.
Santiago Dotor, 25 May 2000

Rear Admiral's Flag 1867-1945 and since 1956

Konteradmiralsflagge

1:1 Image by Marcus Schmger

The admiral's flag with a black ball in the upper hoist and one in the lower hoist. This flag was probably
in use as early as 1867, certainly by the mid 1880s and has continued in use until today, except for the few
years in which there was no German Navy, and for East Germany from 1945 until 1990. Illustrated in
Flaggenbuch 1939 p. 4.
Norman Martin, 1998
The diameter of the black discs should be 9/50ths of the flag's height, according to Flaggenbuch 1939.
Santiago Dotor, 25 May 2000

Car Command Flag for Navy Fortress Commanders in Staff

Officer Positions and Navy Regimental Commanders
Kommandozeichen am Kraftwagen fr Festungskommandanten als
Stabsoffiziersstellungen und Regimentskommandeure der Kriegsmarine

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3:5 Image by Jaume Oll

Black-white-black horizontal tricolor with golden anchor toward hoist.
Norman Martin, March 1998

Car Command Pennant for Division Commander

3.5 Image by Pete Loeser

Same as the one for Navy Batallion Commanders but the fields are black, white, red (top to bottom) and
the anchor is a little bitter higher. Source: John R. Angolia and Adolf Schlicht, Die Kriegsmarine:
Uniforms and Traditions, Volume 3.
Marcus Wendel, 20 September 2000

Car Command Pennant for Brigade Commander

3.5 Image by Pete Loeser

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Same as the one for Navy Batallion Commanders but the fields are black, white, black (top to bottom) and
the anchor is a little bitter higher. Source: John R. Angolia and Adolf Schlicht, Die Kriegsmarine:
Uniforms and Traditions, Volume 3.
Marcus Wendel, 20 September 2000

Car Command Flag for Regiment Commander

3:5 Image by Jaume Oll

Rectangular flag black/white/black. Originally without anchor, but it was added 20 January 1943. Source:
John R. Angolia and Adolf Schlicht, Die Kriegsmarine: Uniforms and Traditions, Volume 3.
Marcus Wendel, 20 September 2000

Car Command Pennant for Navy Batallion Commanders

Kommandozeichen am Kraftwagen fr Abteilungskommandeure der Kriegsmarine

3:5 Image by Jaume Oll

White-black-white horizontal tricolor pennant with golden anchor.
Norman Martin, March 1998
Battalion Commander: as Brigade Commander but without anchor. Colors changed to white/black/white
15 June 1938 and anchor was added 20 January 1943. Source: John R. Angolia and Adolf Schlicht, Die
Kriegsmarine: Uniforms and Traditions, Volume 3.
Marcus Wendel, 20 September 2000

Car Pennant for Other Members of the Navy

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Dienstwimpel am Kraftwagen fr die brigen Angehrigen der Kriegsmarine

Image by Jaume Oll

Blue pennant, gold fringe, with golden party eagle carrying a wreath. Inside the wreath, a swastika.
Norman Martin, March 1998

Navy Church Pennant c1940

Kriegsmarine Kirche Wimpel

Image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Nov 2011

The German Navy Church Pennant is a white pennant with ratio approx 2;3 divided by a red centred
cross. The width of cross bars is estimated 1/7 of total height. I don't know, whether this pennant had been
flown horizontally or vertically. Source: I spotted this pennant in Maritimes Museum Hamburg on 24
September 2009.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 29 Nov 2011
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