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Croatia - River Police Flags

2000 Pennant
image by Zeljko Heimer, 18 September 2000

Overview
1992 Pennant

See also:

Overview

There seems to be a non-coincidental similarity between this pennant and the Hungarian Danube Police pennant. The Hungarian pennant, however, is not 1:2 in proportion but rather 3:5 and the shape of its lozenge is different from the Croatian pennant shown in the Album.
Ivan Sache, 16 September 2000

I do not think that it is coincidence, either, however, I have no proofs. Though, I can give you some forther details regarding the Croatian pennant and some hints on where to look for possible former Yugoslav version. Also, L'Album needs some corrections.
The two legal documents are determining the river police pennat, but carring the same name one replacing the other:
- Pravilnik o isticanju i vijanju zastave trgova?ke mornarice Republike Hrvatske i isticanju znakova na brodovima trgova?ke mornarice Republike Hrvatske na unutarnjim plovnim putevima, 25. velja?e 1992.; Narodne novine br. 16/92, 26. ozujka 1992.
- Pravilnik o isticanju i vijanju zastave trgova?ke mornarice Republike Hrvatske i isticanju znakova na brodovima trgovacke mornarice Republike Hrvatske na unutarnjim plovnim putevima, 22. svibnja 2000.; Narodne novine br. 56/00, 6. lipnja 2000.
(The Regulations on hoisting and flying of the Republic of Croatia merchant flag, and the use of signals on the Republic of Croatia merchant navy ships on the inner navigable watterways, adopted 25 Febuary 1992, published in the official gatette on 26 March 1992, readopted 22 May 2000, puiblished 6 June 2000.)
Both regulations came in effect on the eight day of their issue in the official gazette, so on 2 April 1992 and 13 June 2000 respectivly.

In the both regulations the pennant is determined in article 5, being almost word for word the same in the two regulations, the diferences does not consider us here. The wording of the name of the pennant is slightly different, the 2000 regulation replacing word "organ" with its synonim "tijelo": "Plamenac brodova i camaca organa/tijela nadleznih za sigurnost unutrasnje plovidbe" (meaning Pennant of the ships and boats of organs in charge for the security of inner navigation).

However, the images attached to the regulations (that are considered part of those) are rather different, resulting in two different designs of this pennant. So, let's take a look at the design as prescribed in the text. The rhombus is prescribed to be white with blue border. The horizontal diagonal is 80 cm, vertical 65 cm, width of the blue border is 10 cm, and the height of the black number inscribed in it is 20 cm. (same description in both regulations). Both regulations allow this to be proportionally decreased or increased in size. The pennant is in shape of triangle with two sides being 1 m long and base of 0.50 meter (so it is not quite 1:2 ratio! - more closely 1:1.9365). The 1992 image shows the rhombus with much thinner border then described above. I explain it that they measured the width along the horizontal axis, so that what is gained is the length of the white rhombus 60 cm, so providing much thionner blue border. The images does not have any indication of what the number might be, though there is little doubt that the number was indeed used.

The 2000 regulations provide now the image that is much more consistent with the text of the regulation. Now the blue borderis considerably thicker, to conform with 10 cm requirement. The number example is provided, showing a large bold number 2. The position and size of the rhombus in the triangle is somewhat changed, too.
It is my guess that the numbers are unique only within one "police station" (whatever is called the unit of the police organization on rivers), probably within counties. An other, even remoter guess is
that in no county there is need for two-cifer numbers). In my rare instances being along navigable rivers, I have tryed to notice these pennants, but I have seen none at all, even if I have seen several police boats. But, indeed it would be interesting to know how are these used in practice, and if the difference of the two regulations had any influence at all.
Both regulations are available on line on <www.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeno/1992/0340.htm> and <www.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeno/2000/1239.htm> together with images as has been printed in the official gazette.
Zeljko Heimer, 18 September 2000

1992 Pennant

image by Zeljko Heimer, 18 September 2000

Croatian River Police - White pennant (1:2) charged with a blue lozenge. The lozenge includes the number of the boat.
Source: Album des Pavillons, correction #29 (February 1998) [pay].
Ivan Sache, 16 September 2000

Here is 1992 pennant , similar to L'Album image, also without number (but in real flags some number surely was in there).
Zeljko Heimer, 18 September 2000