Maritime flags
See also: Gallery of maritime flagsA
Maritime flag or
Naval Jack is a national flag used exclusively on boats and other watercraft. Most are based on the traditional state flag, but with notable stylistic modifications.
Flags are very important at sea, where they can mean the difference between life and death, and consequently the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced.
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The Red Ensign, as currently used by the United Kingdom's Merchant Navy. The design, whereby the national flag is located in the top left corner surrounded by a red field has inspired the naval flags of many former British colonies. |
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The Italian Navy ensign. The insignia - located in the middle of the national flag - represents the four ancient Italian maritime republics : first quarter Venice (St. Mark's winged lion), second Genoa (St. George cross), third Amalfi (Maltese white cross on dark blue) and fourth quarter Pisa (peculiar-shaped white cross on red). The Italian Merchant Navy doesn't have the rostred crown, and the St. Mark lion holds an open book instead of a sword. |
Ensigns are national maritime flags flown by ships, at the stern, from a gaff, or from the yard-arm. In some countries (e.g., the
United Kingdom,
Italy,
Russia or
Australia) there are distinct
naval and
merchant ensigns, while in other countries (e.g.,
United States or
France) the merchant and naval ensigns are identical to the
national flag flown on land.
Ensigns are usually required to be flown when entering and leaving harbour, when sailing through foreign waters, and when the ship is signalled to do so by a warship. Warships usually fly their ensigns between the morning colours ceremony and sunset, when underway, and at all times when engaged in battle, the "
battle ensign". When engaged in battle flown and a second ensign in other mast (a tradition from the era of the sailships when masts were targets, and the second ensign flown in order to keep the ensign flying even after a hit on mast).
The position of honour on a ship is the quarterdeck at the
stern of the ship, and thus ensigns are traditionally flown either from an ensign staff at the ship's stern, or from a gaff rigged over the stern. Nowadays when a ship is at sea the ensign is often shifted to the starboard yardarm. The usual rule that no flag should be flown higher than the national flag does not apply on board a ship: a flag flown at the
stern is always in a superior position to a flag flown elsewhere on the ship, even if the latter is higher up.
Nautical etiquette requires that merchant vessels dip their ensigns in salute to passing warships, which acknowledge the salute by dipping their ensigns in return. Contrary to popular belief the
United States Navy does dip the
Stars and Stripes in acknowledgement of salutes rendered to it. Merchant vessels also traditionally fly the ensign of the nation in whose territorial waters they are sailing at the masthead or yard-arm. This is known as a
courtesy flag. The flying of a ship's ensign upside-down is a mark of distress. The flying of two ensigns of two different countries, one above the other, on the same staff is a sign that the vessel concerned has been captured or has surrendered during wartime. The ensign flying in the inferior, or lower, position is that of the country the ship has been captured from: conversely, the ensign flying in the superior, or upper position, is that of the country that has captured the ship.
Jacks are additional national flags flown by warships (and certain other vessels) at the head of the ship. These are usually flown only when not underway and when the ship is dressed on special occasions.
In the
Royal Navy the
Union Jack at sea serves both as a naval jack and as the rank flag of an
Admiral of the Fleet. It is illegal for a merchant ship or yacht to fly the Union Jack: a civilian jack (sometimes known as the
pilot jack as it was formerly used to request a pilot) exists, and consists of the Union Jack with a white border. The
St George's Cross flown from the jack staff is known as the
Dunkirk jack, and is customarily flown by ships and boats which took part in the Dunkirk rescue operation in
1940. The flying of the St George's Cross elsewhere on a civilian ship is illegal, as it is the rank flag of a four-star
admiral.
Rank flags
The Distinguishing Flag or Rank Flag is the flag flown by a superior officer on his
flagship (hence the term
flagship ) or headquarters. The origins of this are from the era before radiotelegraphy and radiotelephony, when orders were given by flag signals. The flag denotes the ship which must be watched for signals designating orders. Such flags also flown by members of the government (presidents, prime ministers or defence secreteries) when aboard Navy ships, showing the ship to hold the headquarters of highest level of authority for the Armed Forces. Today, with the progress in communications, this flag indicates the obligation of the other Naval vessels to pay the relevant honours (
Manning the rails,
firing cannon salute, attention, etc.) according to nautical etiquette. In a group of naval ships all commanded by superior officers, only the commander of the group or the officer of the highest rank can fly his flag.
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Rank flag of an Admiral of the Hellenic Navy flying on the mast of a ship (the fourth star can hardly be seen behind the mast) |
*In the
Royal Navy,
admirals fly rectangular rank flags: an
Admiral of the Fleet flies a
Union Jack, while an admiral flies the
St George's Cross. The flags of vice-admirals and rear-admirals have one and two additional red balls respectively. Commodores fly a
Broad Pennant which is a short swallow-tailed pennant based on the St George's Cross, with a red ball at the canton (upper quarter next to the staff).
*In the
United States Navy as well as in some other countries,
admirals fly rectangular flags with stars according to rank. Line officer flags are blue with white stars, while staff officer flags are white with blue stars.
*In the
Hellenic Navy (Greek Navy) Admirals fly blue square flags bearing a white cross like the Hellenic Navy Jack with four six points stars one in each of the squares formed from the cross, the Vice Admirals fly the same flag but with three stars , the Rear Admirals two stars and the Commodores one star, Captains when commanding flotila or squadron fly a burgee (square swallow-tailed flag) with the colours of Hellenic Navy Jack. When rank flag flown commissioning pennant displaced downward.
Pennants
*A warship also flies from its masthead a
masthead or
commissioning pennant (or
pendant), that is, a long narrow pennant which indicates the commission of the captain of the ship (and thus of the ship itself).
*In the
Royal Navy, the commissioning pennant is a small St George's Cross with a long tapering plain white fly. In the
United States Navy, it is red above white, with seven white stars in the blue hoist. The commissioning pennant may be displaced by various
rank flags, namely the personal flags of members of the
Royal family, the
President of the United States, or the flags or pennants of admirals or commodores.
*The
Senior Officer Present Afloat Pennant is the NATO signal flag for "Starboard" is green on the hoist and fly with a white field between.
*The
Church Pennant has the St George's Cross in the hoist and a fly which is horizontally divided red-white-blue. It is said that it is a combination of the English and
Dutch flags that was invented during the
Anglo-Dutch Wars to signify a truce during church services.
*The
Gin Pennant means that the
wardroom is inviting
officers from ships in company to drinks. The origins of the Gin Pennant are uncertain, but it seems to have been used since the
1940s and probably earlier. Originally it was a small green triangular pennant measuring approximately 18 inches by 9 inches (460 by 230 mm), defaced with a white wine glass. Its colour, size and position when hoisted were all significant as the aim was for the pennant to be as inconspicuous as possible, thereby having fewer ships sight it and subsequently accept the invitation for drinks.
House flag
Some ships fly a house or company flag that indicates the company that they belong to. This was formerly flown from the mainmast but is now usually flown from a short mast at the bow.
Yacht club burgee
Yachts belonging to
yacht clubs fly their yacht club's triangular
burgee from the masthead. This is compulsory if the yacht is flying a special ensign that members of the club have been granted permission to fly.
Unit citations
Warships of various navies may be awarded a
unit citation, for which a burgee (tapering flag with swallow-tail fly) is flown when in port.
*Ships of the
United States Navy:
**Presidential Unit Citation - yellow with blue stripe on top and red stripe at the bottom.
**Navy Meritorious Unit Citation - green with four yellow stripes divided by two blue and one red stripes at the centre.
**Navy Unit Citation - symmetrical colouring from the centre: green, red, yellow, blue.
*Ships of the
Royal Australian Navy may have:
**Unit Citation for Gallantry - burgee with narrow white band surrounding green field surmounted by a silver star.
**Meritorious Unit Citation - design as above with yellow field.
There is a system of
International maritime signal flags for each numeral and letter of the alphabet. Each flag or pennant has an additional meaning when flown individually.
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Broad pennant*
Flag*
Flag terminology*
Civil ensign*
Naval ensign*
British ensigns*
Vexillology*
Jolly Roger, the pirate flag
