by Zeljko Heimer
Last modified: 2004-03-06 by dov gutterman
Keywords: croatia | navy | naval jack | jack |
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by Zeljko Heimer
The Naval Ensign - (the text call it literary "stern
flag", but that is because this is precise term used in
Croatian for an ensign. In part with images it is captioned
litterary "Flag of naval ships of RH (on stern)".
As far as I know, this is a new flag, i.e. before this decision
the Croatian Navy used the same flag as civil vessels did, i.e.
the national flag in 2:3 ratio.
The Naval Ensign is equal to the Civil Ensign (tricolour with
Coat of Arms in the middle), differentiated in two yellow anchors
in saltire behind the coat of arms.
Zeljko Heimer, 24 October 1999
One may not see the red outline of the Coat of Arms in the
crest that is otherwise "lost" in the red field of the
flag. There is, of course, also a white line between this red and
the shield proper, but hardly visible on such small images.
Zeljko Heimer, 4 October 2000
Beautiful photo of the Croatian naval ensign beneath a
rainbow, taken in December 2002 in Komiža, island of Vis at
<www.morsko-prase.hr>.
Zeljko Heimer, 26 Febuary 2004
by Zeljko Heimer
The Naval Jack - (or as it is called litterary "bow
flag") - This is the flag of the Croatian Navy (Hrvatska
Ratna Mornatica), reported before.Thou, the flag used until now
had somewhat more ornamented shield shape, which is now
"reverted" to the official shield shape of the Croatian
Coat of Arms. Anyway, this is, As far as I know, the first
document officializing this flag. The flag is blue, bordered with
thick red border (outer and thin white border (inner). In the
middle of the blue filed there is the Croatian coat of arms and
two anchors behind it as on the naval ensign.
According to my calculations, based on the images from official
gazette, and which I used during constructioning of this flag,
that seem reasonable - the red border width is 1/10 of the flag
hoist, and the white border is half as much (i.e. 1/20). The
symbol in the middle is another 1/10 from upper and lower edge of
the blue filed, therefore allowing 1/2 of the flag hoist to be
the total symbol height.
Zeljko Heimer, 24 October 1999
by Zeljko Heimer
You might remember the flag of the Croatian Navy (HRM,
Hrvatska ratna mornarica) that is the flag used as the naval jack
on Croatian Navy ships. If you check, you shall see that the
legaly prescribed flag contains the Coat of Arms in the middle,
but that formerly used flag had a veriation of the Coat of Arms,
most notabe difference being the shape of the shield. The same
design with the more ornamental shield is shown in Album 2000.
Whatever the 1999 regulations (that intoduced the flag as the
jack, and that prescribe "simple" Coat of Arms version)
prescribe the older ("transitional") version is still
much in use, I presume for practical reasons. I guess that the
difference is rather minor and that the old flag was retained in
use anywhere where it was already existing (that's cheaper
solution). As a matter of fact, I have not yet seen the new
prescribed version in use anywhere. Knowing how strict budgets
are these last years, I doubt that the aquirement of new flags
would be the first thing on their mind anyway.Especially since
the difference is not esencial one, I believe. So, I guess that
the old flags shall be left in useage until their detoriation due
time. As the flag of this design is not only used as the jack
(where weather conditions might be hasher), but also as the flag
of the Navy, so also in parade and indoor versions, these might
be used for quite a time.
In any case, in recent number of the weekly magazine of the
Croatian Ministry of Defense the interview with the commander of
the Naval District North Adriatic was issued, illustrated with
his photo infront of a indoor version of this flag (gold
fringed, and with gold tassle). The emblem in the flag is very
well visible (hosit of the flag is about 20 cm in the photo)
enableing rather good drawing. It also confirms well my estimate
that the red border is 1/10 of the hosit, and the white one being
half that width.
Zeljko Heimer, 7 April 2001
I have seen just few days ago the Croatian naval jack, in fact
those that is titled "Flag in Use". I guess again that
these are "leftovers" of the previously
"semi-officially" used jack and authorized flag of the
Croatian Navy.
Zeljko Heimer, 1 september 2001
by Zeljko Heimer
In the site of the Croatian
Ministery of Defense there is an photo of the second chief of
HQ, one vice-admiral, there is a table size flag on his desk,
very similar to the flag used by the Croatian Navy, that I
couldn't indentify for a long time. However, this flag is
different in that there are no crossed anchors on it. It might be
concluded that these flags might be rank flags of various
admirals. I already wrote a mail asking some questions to them,
and we'll see if they anwser.
Zeljko Heimer, 19 May 1997
some time ago I posted an image of the flag of HRM (Croatian
Navy). The flag was reported by me long ago as used as naval
jack, but afterwards I saw it used elsewhere, and was not sure
about it use. I also suggested that it might be a rank flag of
admirals etc. Now, when I posted the image a month ago, I finally
confirmed what the flag is - the flag of the Croatian Navy
(Hrvatska ratna mornarica), but I still did not found any rules
for its hoisting on vessels.
Now I have a photo if its
use as naval jack. I attach the part of the photo, showing the
jack on the jackstaff of the presidential vessel
"Ucka". This conforms that the flag is used as naval
jack (at least sometimes).
From this photo you can judge how good I made a GIF. Not
specially good in the whidth of white border, certainly. What
about the ratio of this flag? Is it 1:2 or 2:3, I can hardly
decide.
Zeljko Heimer, 7 September 1998
Zeljko's description of the use of the Croatian naval ensign
says that he's unclear on whether this is actually the ensign or
not. I checked photos in Jane's Fighting Ships and am not
sure what to conclude.
- Landing craft DJC-103: blue ensign at ensign staff and
jackstaff, national tricolor at masthead. Under way with
sailors manning rail.
- ex-Presidential yacht HRM Yadranka: national tricolor at
ensign staff. (ship not under way)
- Coast Guard 1-PU: national tricolor at gaff; under way
- HRM Sibenic: national tricolor at gaff; under way
- HRM Dubrovnik: national tricolor at gaff; under way
- Midget submarine Velebit: national tricolor at ensign
staff; not under way
- HRM Andrija: national tricolor at ensign staff; not under
way
- Minelayer DSM 110: national tricolor at gaff; under way
- HRM Krka: blue ensigns at jackstaff and ensign staff;
national tricolor at gaff; under way with sailors manning rail.
Not sure what to make of this, but interesting that only
appearance of blue flag is with sailors in ceremonial formation
and that the national tricolor seems to be used in all
situations.
Joseph McMillan , 2 October 1999
With all my efforts I have found no slightest suggestion of
whan the flag of the Navy is to be hoisted either as ensign or as
jack (or whatever). But, as the photographs confirm, the flag is
used from time to time, as it seems mostly in ceremonial
occasions.
I have seen photos of ex-Presidential yacht HRM Yadranka with the
naval flag at ensign staff, too (again with crew manning the
deck!).
IMHO, the use of the naval flag is sporadic and left to the
commander's will, but as a rule the national ensign is used, and
the commander's will is exercised only in some ceremonial
ocassions. Again, IMHO, the regulations regarding this are still
to be developed and I would guess that would be so in time, as
the Croatian military is in process of making many such
documents. I hope it is just a question of time when I would be
able to report on such rule-book
Zeljko Heimer , 4 October 1999
Those flags can be considered now as "temporarily"
or "transitional" flags. There was actually only one
flag (similar to the new jack!), and possibly another variation
of it without the anchors. They are to be considered
"unofficially" used in ceremonious occasions before the
law now determined the "real" flags.
Zeljko Heimer , 29 October 1999
by Zeljko Heimer
The flag of the Supreme Commander of the Republic of Croatia
Armed Forces: This is exactly the same flag as the flag of the
President, which is not unusual since the President is by default
the Supreme Commander. The flag was originally adopted at the
same time as the national flag (21-DEC-1990), and this law
"only" confirms it in this function (i.e. as the flag
used by the Navy).
The flag is square, blue, bordered with a border of 29 red and
white squares along one edge (including the two corner squares,
which are red). [BTW, this confirm the border elements to be
squares, something that was not quite clear before!] . In the
middle is the Croatian coat of arms (shield), surrounded with
five square lozenges containing the five coats of arms from the
crest of the national coat of arms. Both from the main shield,
and from the five smaller shields there is hanging a fringe-like
pattern, for lozenges composed of yellow, white and red fringes -
1Y, 4 R+W one each side around central fring - the central yellow
fringe being longer then others - all ending in 45 degrees lines.
The fringes of the main shield are all red and white except for
the two outermost. Above the shield is a ribbon in national
colours outlined in yellow and bearing letters RH also in yellow.
Zeljko Heimer, 30 October 1999
The flag
by Zeljko Heimer
The detail of the emblem
by Zeljko Heimer
The flag of the President of Sabor (the Parliament): The flag
is red square with an emblem canton. The emblem is a gray (silver
?!) vertical oval bordered with a yellow "tripple
wattle" ornament consisting of 20 curls. In the oval there
is the coat of arms of Croatia above the letters RH. The size of
the oval (to the edges of the ornament) is approximately 41% of
the hoist in height and 32% whide. The space from the oval top to
the top of the flag is 10% and from hoist to the oval is 5%.
Zeljko Heimer, 30 October 1999
by Zeljko Heimer
The flag of the President of Government (Prime-minister): The
flag is white square bordered with blue with the same oval as in
the flag of the President of Sabor. The width of the blue border
is 5% of the flag hoist. The oval is of the same size as in
previous flag, and offset from top also, but it is offset from
hoist approximately 12%.
Zeljko Heimer
The flag
by Zeljko Heimer
Details of the emblem
by Zeljko Heimer
The flag of the Minister of Defense: The flag is red square,
bordered with a border of 20 squares, in the national colours.
The upper hoist corner square is red, next one along both edges
is white, then blue, then again repeating red-white- blue until
the other corner (so, two corners are white) , continuing pattern
around the corners toward the fly bottom corner which is blue. In
the middle of the flag there is the emblem of the Minister of
Defense. That is the same oval as in the flags of President of
sbaor and Prime-minister, but instead of the letters RH, there
are yellow crossed a sword (with white lozenge on the hilt) and
an olive branch in salitre, and below those a yellow letter M.
The size of the oval is 43% in height and 34% in width (i.e.
bigger somewhat then in the previous two flags!). This emblem is
the official emblem of the Minister of Defence, as such defined
in a law defining the rank and function emblems in the Armed
Forces (au contraire, I'm not aware of any official documant
defining the emblem used on the flags of the two presidents
above!).
Zeljko Heimer, 30 October 1999
