KINGDOM OF SPAIN

NAVAL ENSIGNS, FLAGS & PENNANTS  •  1914-31

The red-yellow-red Spanish flag with the the "small" royal arms offset toward the hoist was first adopted in 1785 as the naval ensign, and soon after as the national flag. It remained unchanged up to 1931, when the Spanish Republic replaced it with a horizontal tricolor of equal red, yellow and purple stripes. The rank flags were established by a Royal Decree dated 18 February 1914. For flag officers, there were two sets of rank flags: with blue disks denoting an admiral in command and with red disks denoting a subordinate admiral. Commodores and senior officers commanding divisions flew tapered, swallowtailed pennants with or without a single blue disk, and the seniority pennant (also used by flotilla commanders) was triangular. Except for the size of the disks, these rank flags are the same as the ones in use today. The Minister of the Navy and the commanding admiral of the Navy (called the Captain-General) both had distinctive flags. Flag Proportions: The Spanish naval ensign was made in 2:3 proportions. The appointment/rank flags (except command pennants) were made square.

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