Last modified: 2004-08-14 by dov gutterman
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The city of Vis is the largest settlemet on the island of the
same name about 60 km southwest of Split,
population 2,200 almost all living in the city itself. Vis is the
outermost large island and was always an important strategic
point and a naval base. In the Napoleonic times it was taken by
the British, who built the fort of St. George there. It is know
for the battle by Vis (in the western sources better known after
the Italian name Lissa) of 1866 when the Austro- Hungarian fleet
defeate the larger Italian fleet thus securing the supremacy in
the Adriatic. Vexillologically this was important for the
development of the A-H naval flags - the admiral's flag of Rear
Admiral Tegetthoff is preserved today in Vienna Military History
Museum. In the second world war to Vis was moved the general
staff of Tito's Army in 1944, and it was the center of the
liberation movement and government until the liberation of
Belgrade. Several important treaties and decisions were made by
the authorities there, for us most interseting that a number of
flag related legislations and decisions regarding the Yugoslav
flag with the five-pointed star and the ensigns. Anyway, after
the WWII Vis was made a stong naval base forbiden for foreigners
and the ban was lifted only in early 1990's - sicne when the
tourism is in bloom.
The coat of arms of the city of Vis is a blue oval with St.
George killing the dragon within golden braoque cartuche.
The flag is white with the coat of arms in the middle.
Zeljko Heimer, 4 August 2004
I was reading on BBC-online
today about the island of Vis, off the Dalmatian coast, which
apparently was occupied by the British briefly during the early
19th century. Did the island have a flag during this occupation?
And has it had one since?
James Dignan, 23 May 2004
The island of Vis and I believe one other island too, Lastovo
(in Italian: Lagosta), I suppose, was occupied by the British
forces in early 19th century. Vis was held by Venice from at
least 15th century. in 1797 it was taken by Austria and in 1805
Napoleon occupied it for France. The British conquered it in 1811
and held it until 1814 when it was returned to Austria. It was an
important fort in the so called Continental blocade of Napoleon.
French lounched a strong attack in 1811 to regain it, but were
defeated.
On the sea near Vis was held in 1866 a great battle between the
Italian and Austria fleet for the control over adriatic. The
Austrian fleet of 27 ships commanded by Admiral Tegetthoff met
the Italian fleet of 34 ships commanded by Admrial Persano, that
were bombarding the island and it suffered a big loss, so that
Austria gained supremacy over Adriatic until its end.
Vexillologically this battle is interesting because of the flags
employed by both sides that were meticulously recorded and shown
in numerous paintings. The admiral's flag of Tegetthoff is still
preserved today in Vienna Military History Museum, as I reported
not so long ago (I think).
After the World War the island of Vis became part of the
South-Slavic state as part of the Triune Kingdom of
Croatia-Slavonia-Dalmatia, as part of the Coastal Banate
(Primorska Banovina), and par of Banate Croatia after its
formation in 1939. In 1941 it was occupied by Italy and was then
ceded to it by the Rome Treaties (with which Pavelic gave up the
most of the Dalmatia to Italy as payment for gaining power in
Croatia). After the Italian capitulation in the 1943
partisan units that were resisting the Italians in the coast of
the istland took the entire island and it was held until the end
of the WWII. In 1944 the Tito's headquarters was moved there and
Vis was organized as a great stonghold. A British commando brade
with over 1000 troops was also included in the defence of Vis and
some other Allies naval units. Vis was functioning as the
political and military center of the liberated territories until
the liberation of Belgrade in late 1944. After the WWII the
island was retained as the military stronghold and was forbiden
for foreigners until 1990's. The recent opening of the island for
tourism mean that it is a jewel preserved and unexplored and is
among the most popular tourist destinations on Adriatic sea.
Now, about the flags, I do not believe that there were any
British flags designed specifically for the Island (or British
possessions on Adriatic as a whole). I believe that the brief
british presence was only as a military garrisson, and therefore
the white ensigns would have been used (probably was hoisted over
the fort built there by the Brits). I would be most interested to
hear what could be found in the British records regarding this,
of course.
Today the island of Vis is administratively organized into two
cities in the Split-Dalmatia County, dividing the island in half
almost in line North-South. The easter helf is the City of Vis
and the western is the city of Komia, that also include
small outer islands of Bievo, Sv. Andrija and
Palagrua, and several smaller unihabited cliffs.
Both cities have their coat of arms and the flag adopted in
1990's. The coat of arms and the flag of Komia
are in its page.
Zeljko Heimer, 23 May 2004
In British records "Vis" would be referred to as
"Lissa". It is more likely that any British flags would
have been the Union Jack which was flown on forts or castles, and
the Red Ensign which was the ensign of naval ships operating
independently of a squadron. Ships of a squadron would have flown
a Red, or White or Blue Ensign depending upon the rank of the
admiral in command of the squadron.
David Prothero, 24 May 2004