FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

CURRENT MILITARY & NAVAL FLAGS

Page One

ENSIGN & JACK, MILITARY FLAGS, APPOINTMENT & RANK FLAGS

Image Added August 2004

Naval Commissioning Pennant

Notes

The Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD or Federal Republic of Germany) was formed in 1949 from the British, French and US sectors of occupied Germany. The historic black-red-gold tricolor of 1848, which had also been used by the Weimar Republic from 1919 to 1933, was reestablished as the German national flag. With the arms of the state added, it also served as the flag for government authorities.

In 1955, the BRD gained complete sovereignty, including the right to raise armed forces, and a naval ensign and jack was adopted: a swallowtailed variant of the flag for government authorities, with the arms set slightly toward the hoist. On land, the flag for government authorities is also the military service flag.

The German armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr, consist of the Heer (Army) the Luftwaffe (Air Force) and the Marine (Navy). All military units entitled to bear a color use the Truppenfahne, which is a square version of the military service flag with black-red-gold piping and gold fringe. This color is carried on a staff with an openwork spearhead finial enclosing a black and silver Iron Cross. Attached below the finial is a streamer embroidered with the unit designation and badge. Streamers are red for the Bundesheer, white for the Luftwaffe, and blue for the Marine.

The Inspector-General (chief of staff) of the Bundeswehr has a square flag in the national colors with the state arms on the traditional quartered field of a senior commander. The inspector-general of each service branch has a similar flag but with a wider red border. Senior officers of the Heer holding certain appointments have flags with the central field divided diagonally, and different insignia as shown. There are three Defense Region commands, each controlling the Territorial (reserve) forces in their areas: North (N), South (S) and Schleswig-Holstein (S-H). Naval rank flags are similar to those used by Imperial Germany, the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich.

Credit: Original drawings and information concerning many of these flags were posted to the FOTW Mailing List by Joseph McMillan.

Left: NAVAL ENSIGN & JACK     Right: MILITARY SERVICE FLAG (ARMY & AIR FORCE)
 

ARMED FORCES CEREMONIAL COLOR (ALL BRANCHES)
 

ARMED FORCES APPOINTMENT FLAGS
 

Left: INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF THE BUNDESWEHR

Right: INSPECTORS-GENERAL OF THE SERVICE BRANCHES
 

ARMY APPOINTMENT FLAGS
 

Left: CHIEF OF ARMY ADMINISTRATION (Amtschef Heeresamt)

Right: COMMANDER OF A MILITARY DISTRICT (Befehlshaber eine Wehrbereich)
 

Left: COMMANDER OF A DEFENSE REGION (Befehlshaber einer Territorialkommando)

Right: COMMANDING GENERAL OF A CORPS (Befehlshaber einer Korps)
 

NAVAL RANK FLAGS
 

Left: ADMIRAL (Admiral)     Right: VICE-ADMIRAL (Vizeadmiral)
 

Left: REAR-ADMIRAL (Konteradmiral)     Right: FLOTILLA ADMIRAL (Flotillenadmiral)
 

NAVAL COMMAND PENNANTS
 

COMMODORE (Kommodore)

Also the Senior Officer's pennant, depending on how displayed.
 

FLOTILLA COMMANDER
 

NAVAL COMMISSIONING PENNANT

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