Socialist Yugoslavia: Naval rank flags (1956-1991)

Part 1 - Upper ranks

Last modified: 2006-07-22 by ivan sache
Keywords: commander of the navy | admiral of the fleet | admiral | vice admiral | rear admiral | star (red) | anchor (red) | anchor (blue) | anchor (yellow) |
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• Commander of the Navy
• Admiral of the Fleet
• Admiral
• Vice Admiral
• Rear Admiral

See also:

• Socialist Yugoslavia
• Socialist Yugoslavia: Naval rank flags (1956-1991) - Part 2: Lower ranks
• Serbia and Montenegro: Naval rank flags - Part 1: Upper ranks

Commander of the Navy

Flag of the Commander of the Navy - Image by Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

The flag of the Commander of the Navy (Zastava komandanta ratne mornarice) was a square white flag with a border made of tricolour bars, and a red anchor fouled with a yellow cable surmonted with the yellow bordered red five-pointed star.

In the 1990s, the star was removed from the flag of the Commander of the Navy used by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and later by Serbia and Montenegro.

Sources:

• Pomorska enciklopedija VII: Zastava, Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, Zagreb, 1964
• V. Isaić [isa01], with a different caption: "Flag of a Naval Region Commander" (Zastava komandanta Vojnopomorske oblasti). The difference in title is due to a reorganization in the military structure.

Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

Admiral of the Fleet

Flag of an Admiral of the Fleet - Image by Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

The flag of an Admiral of the Fleet (Zastava admirala flote) was a square white flag with a border made of tricolour bars, and a blue fouled anchor. All available sources show the cable to be blue, whereas it is yellow on the flag of the Commander of the Navy.

The 1990s regulations of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia prescribed almost the same flag, but with a yellow cable, for the Commander of the Fleet, while the Admiral of the Fleet is given a different flag. The change in the flag may have occurred before the 1990s, possibly through 1970s regulations whose details are not available.

Sources:

• Pomorska enciklopedija VII: Zastava, Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, Zagreb, 1964
• V. Isaić [isa01]

Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

Admiral

Flag of an Admiral - Image by Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

The flag of an Admiral (Zastava admirala) was a square white flag with a border made of tricolour bars, and a yellow anchor in canton.

As for the two other Admiral's rank flag, a similar flag had been introduced before the Second World War, with a the royal crown instead of the anchor. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia continued to use the same flags (with the anchor).

The practice to change the main colour of the flag according to the rank was retained by the Croatian Navy in the 1990s although the design of the flags is rather different. Most of the Yugoslav Navy was actually manned by Croatian sailors and sailed along the Croatian coast.

Sources:

• Pomorska enciklopedija VII: Zastava, Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, Zagreb, 1964
• V. Isaić [isa01]

Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

Vice Admiral

Flag of a Vice Admiral - Image by Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

The flag of a Vice Admiral (Zastava viceadmirala) was a square red flag with a border made of tricolour bars, and a yellow anchor in canton.

Sources:

• Pomorska enciklopedija VII: Zastava, Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, Zagreb, 1964
• V. Isaić [isa01]

Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

Rear Admiral

Flag of a Rear Admiral - Image by Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003

The flag of a Rear Admiral (Zastava kontraeadmirala) was a square blue flag with a border made of tricolour bars, and a yellow anchor in canton.

Sources:

• Pomorska enciklopedija VII: Zastava, Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, Zagreb, 1964
• V. Isaić [isa01]

Željko Heimer, 26 October 2003