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1. Flags of the Federal Republic of Germany
The naval ensign is called Dienstflagge der Seestreitkräfte der Bundeswehr (service flag of the naval forces of the Bundeswehr). It is mainly used by the warships in service. The federal service flag (Bundesdienstflagge) is used by auxiliary ships of the navy, ships leased or chartered by the Bundeswehr (if ordered by the Minister of Defence), and ships not yet in service or out of service. The federal flag is used by ships leased or chartered by the Bundeswehr (unless the federal service flag is ordered by the Minister of Defence) and by training sailing-boats.
Ships using the naval ensign or the federal service flag, also use their respective ensign in a smaller variant as a jack (Gösch). The size of the different ensigns is also regulated in the MDv 161/1. The sizes for the naval ensign or the service flag are 70 × 115 cm, 80 × 135 cm, 120 × 200 cm, 150 × 250 cm, 200 × 335 cm; the jack has either 50 × 85 cm or 70 × 115 cm. The prescribed size of the flags depends on the size of the ship: submarines and fast attack crafts use the smallest available flags, frigates and destroyers the bigger variants. A special case is the Gorch Fock, the training sailing ship, which uses an even bigger variant of the naval ensign (300 × 500 cm).
2. Standard of the Federal President
This is the personal flag of the President, hoisted on ships where the President is present. On ships flowing the standard of the Federal President no command signs or distinguishing signs may be hoisted.
3. Kommandozeichen (command signs)
Command flags shall indicate the place and the rank of a person aboard
a ship:
- The federal service flag is used for
the Bundesminister der Verteidigung (Minister of Defence) or the
Bundeskanzler (Federal Chancellor) — that means basically in peacetime
the Minister, in wartime the Chancellor.
- The Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr
(Inspector-General of the Bundeswehr) uses his own command sign.
- The admirals' flags are used by the admirals of the different ranks
aboard a ship and partially also ashore. The flags follow a pattern already
established in the navy of the German Empire
[and inherited from the Prussian Navy] and readopted in 1956. The flag
of an admiral is square, white with a black Iron
Cross, fimbriated black and white. The vice admiral's,
rear admiral's and flotilla
admiral's flags each add a black disc in the upper and lower hoist
and upper fly corners.
- There are three further command flags used by officers in command
of a naval unit, but not holding admiral's rank. The officer commanding
a flotilla uses the Flotillenstander (flotilla
pennant) (...) attached to a crossbar. The same flag, but hoisted normally
(not attached to a crossbar), is used as squadron pennant (Geschwaderstander).
The officer commanding a division uses the Divisionsstander
(division pennant). Finally there is the Kommandowimpel
(masthead pennant), used by any officer commanding a warship in service.
4. Unterscheidungszeichen (distinguishing signs)
Distinguishing signs are flags used to show command or seniority in
cases, when ships are joined together accidentally or temporarily. These
flags are used together with the masthead pennant, whereas in the case
of the command signs above either the masthead pennant (showing the lowest
rank) is used or one of the higher rank command signs.
- The Gruppenstander (group pennant) is the same as the Geschwaderstander
(squadron pennant) and is used by the commanding officer of a temporary
naval unit.
- The Dienstaltersttander (seniority pennant) is the same as
the Divisionsstander (division pennant)
and is used in harbour by the most senior officer of the ships present
there, if none of the ships use a command sign of higher rank than the
masthead pennant.
5. Erkennungswimpel für Kraftboote (distinguishing pennants for motor boats)
These distinguishing pennants are used aboard motor-boats of the Bundeswehr used by admirals or generals of the Bundeswehr, who are not entitled to use their own command signs; they are also used for foreign admirals or generals, if they do not have their own command signs or if these are not available. The pennants have a size of 65x25 cm and have a rounded tip. The colour is red for the army (Heer), air force (sky) blue for the air force (Luftwaffe) and blue for the navy (Marine). The rank is indicated by the number of four-pointed golden stars: Brigadegeneral/Flotillenadmiral (brigadier general/flotilla admiral) one star; Generalmajor/Konteradmiral (major general/rear admiral) two stars; Generalleutnant/Vizeadmiral (lieutenant general/vice-admiral) three stars; General/Admiral (general/admiral) four stars.
Sources: Album des Pavillons 2000,
Flaggenbuch
1939 (1992 reprint), Zänkert 1995,
Bundesministerium der Verteidigung 1977
Marcus Schmöger, 21 Nov 2001
Regulation MDv 161/1 (Bundesministerium
der Verteidigung 1977) was adopted 15 August 1977. Several (pretty
insignificant) amendments on 17 January 1979, 15 June 1979, 30 December
1980, 17 August 1983, 9 January 1986, 11 June 1985, 4 July 1986, 6 November
1986, 23 December 1991.
Marcus Schmöger, 8 Jun 2004