Last modified: 2006-09-23 by jarig bakker
Keywords: reichskriegsflagge |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
3:5
image by Olivier Vercammen
Flag adopted 5th October 1935, modified
February 1938
There were no two variants of this flag, [but two consecutive flags].
The first Reichskriegsflagge was introduced 7th November 1935. Flaggenbuch
1939 [neu39] shows the later flag which
replaced the first in February 1938.
Ralf Stelter, 13 Jan 2001
The national war ensign had a red field with a white-black-white bordered
black cross with a center disk — thus clearly inspired by the Imperial
Ensign. The center disk was somewhat larger and had a white-black bordered
swastika instead of an eagle. In the canton there was a white-black-white
bordered Iron Cross — instead of the Iron
Cross on the black-white-red tricolor. This flag replaced the 1933
ensign.
Norman Martin, Jan 1998
Actual flags usually had on the border a small eagle with a circled
swastika with an 'M' underneath (the mark of the Reichszeugmeister)
and a size such as '200 × 335' stamped on it.
Norman Martin, 1 Jun 2000
Is the Reichskriegsflagge (war ensign) flown only on a naval
vessel or was it flown in other places? The flags I have seen in period
footage / documentaries are usually the "standard" nazi flag (like the
armband) but have seen movie(s) trying to be "authentic" flying the Reichskriegsflagge
in Stalingrad or other inland places.
anonymous, 21 Oct 2003
It had to be flown daily at all Wehrmacht installations, preferably
at the entrance, otherwise near the guard room or staff building. (Brian
Davis, Flags of the Third Reich).
Miles Li, 21 Oct 2003
I have seen a number of period photos of German army installations flying
this flag. So it appears to have been used by the army as well as the navy.
I would be interested in knowing what regulations governed its use.
Devereaux Cannon, 21 Oct 2003
The 1935-45 Reichskriegsflagge was indeed used by army units. I saw
them myself at barracks in Normandy and in Bavaria. I believe indeed that
they replaced the unit flags after the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt.
Norman Martin, 21 Oct 2003
The "Decree about the Reichskriegsflagge, the jack of the warships,
the merchant flag with the iron cross and the flag of the Minister of war
and supreme commander of the Wehrmacht" (5 Oct 1935) says:
..."The Reichskriegsflagge is the national emblem of the Wehrmacht.
The flag shall be shown on the Kriegsmarine (navy) warships, on
the Luftwaffe (airforce) airplanes and the buildungs of the entire
Wehrmacht."...
Jörg Karaschewski, 21 Oct 2003
...Which makes this one of the very few genuine "war flags" in the FIAV
sense of the term, most so-called "war flags" actually being organizational
flags of the armed forces, not national emblems.
Joe McMillan, 23 Oct 2003
Here are both the 1st and the 2nd patern flags. They came in a few popular
sizes: 80x135 / 100x170 / 150x250 / 200x335 / 300x500 ( all centimeters
). They have normaly all a stamp of the constructor and size ( in cm or
in meter e.g. 0.80x1.35 ).
Most of them (but not all) have a marking with an eagle over a kapital
M, which means the flag was Kriegsmarine approved.
Normaly the small flags have two looped rope lanyards while the larger
examples have a looped lanyard at the top and a large rope at the bottom.
Olivier Vercammen, 13 Oct 2002