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Croatia - Coast Guard Flags

"regular" emblem
image by Željko Heimer, 16 May 2009

3-D style emblem
image by Željko Heimer, 16 May 2009

detail
image by Željko Heimer, 16 May 2009

Overview

See also:

Overview

The Coats Guard was established in Croatian in 2007 with a separate legislation [1], however, it is organized within the Croatian Navy, and by now it followed the flag regulations of the Croatian Navy (regulations of 1999). It used emblems on the ship hull that was unregulated formally, as one can see at wikipedia.
The mentioned law of 2007 [1] determines in its Article 4, paragprah 2 that "The Coast Guard has its flag and official emblem, which is displayed on all vessels, aircrafts, vehicles and other objects of the Coats Guard." (If you read carefully this sentence, it actually does not say anything about how the flag is used, only about the emblem - this is also in the original Croatian text!) The paragraph 5 of the same Article prescribes that the layout of the flag, official emblem (and some other items) is prescribed by the Minister of Defence with a separate regulation.
The Article 44 of the Law gives obligation to the Minister of Defence to issue, within six months, among others, the regulations on the Coast Guard flag, official emblem, official ID and official uniforms of the Coast Guard members.
These regulations were finally adopted some days ago [2], on 27 April 2009, issued in the official gazette on 13 May, so it becomes valid on 20 May 2009. It prescribes the design of the flag of the Coast Guard in its Article 5: "The flag of the Coats Guard is blue with red-and-white squares set along the left edge of the flag. The field of the red-and-white squares consists of three squares in width [i.e. length, note ŽH] and thirteen squares in height of the flag. In the middle of the blue field of the flag is set the emblem of the Coast Guard, its diameter being 1/3 of the flag length. The ratio of the width and length of the flag is 2:3. The picture of the flag of the Coast Guard is printed in attachment of these Regulations and it is integral part of them."
The Article 6 then describes the emblem of the Coast Guard: "The official emblem of the Coast Guard consists of two dark yellow anchors in saltire at 45 degrees over which is set a shield in the colours of the flag of the Republic of Croatia with a dark yellow edge and the coat of arms of Croatia in its centre. The background of the official emblem is golden bordered with two dark yellow concentric rings, between which is on the background of navy blue colour semi-circularly inscribed OBALNA STRAŽA REPUBLIKE HRVATSKE [Coast Gaurd of the Republic of Croatia]. In the base of the official emblem is stylized traditional Croatian wattle. The picture of the official emblem of the Coast Guard is printed in attachment of these Regulations and it is integral part of them."
The regulations determine also the new emblem that is to be set on the ship hull consisting of slanted stripe of red and white squares edges with red and blue lines.
Unfortunately, neither the mentioned Law nor the Regulations are precise in how exactly the flag is to be used. Even more, since the Croatian language does not make distinction between the term for a flag and an ensign, the intended use of the flag is even less clear. So, we shall just have to wait and see if the new flag shall be used instead of the naval ensign, or the naval jack, or as an additional flag to the flags/ensigns regulated by the naval regulations, or simply as the organizational flag of the Coast Guard.
Regarding the other flags that may be used on the Coast Guard ships, it seems clear from the Law and Regulatiosn that things that are not regulated by them the legislation regarding the Croatian Navy applies - so the command and rank flags of the Croatian Navy we may expect to see on the Coast Guard ships as well. The CG commander is a Vice Admiral of the Croatian Navy, and the CG officers and sailors wear uniforms of the Navy. In fact, the Navy has recently reorganized its Fleet into two: the Flotilla and the Coast Guard.
Above are two images, one with my drawing of the flag and another using the Coast Guard emblem provided by the official gazette web site as a clip art. Namely, the emblem as printed in the regulatons has "3-dimensional" style, typical for modern Croatian emblems, designed, no doubt, by Božo Kokan, artist who is employed to design majority of current military emblems. Such design is certainly not suitable for heraldic design and especially for the flags - unless they are digitally printed, however, that option is nowadays quite easily accessible. My drawing "flattens" out the 3d effects, as would be appropriate for a traditionally made flags (even though I am sure that such differences are readily ignored by the officials).
Sources:
[1] Zakon o Obalnoj straži Republike Hrvatske, 3.10.2007, Narodne Novine, br. 109/2007, 24.10.2007
[2] Pravilnik o zastavi Obalne straže, službenom znaku, službenoj iskaznici i službenim odorama pripadnika Obalne straže, 27.04.2009, Narodne Novine, br. 56/2009, 13.05.2009.
Željko Heimer, 16 May 2009