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Naval Rank Flags ?-1914 (Spain)

Insignias

Introduction
Minister (other than Minister of the Navy) (Minister of the Crown, Ministro de la Corona)
Minister of the Navy (Ministro de Marina)
Admiral of the Navy (Almirante de Armada)
Captain-General of a Maritime Department
Vice Admiral as Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet
Vice Admiral (Vicealmirante)
Rear Admiral as Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet
Rear Admiral (Contralmirante)
Captain as Commander of a Squadron
Senior Naval Officer
Captain-General of the Army
Governor-General
Lieutenant General; Commandant of a Naval District
General of a Division; Commandant of a Maritime Province
General of a Brigade; Commandant of a Coastal Fortress
Ambassador
Cardinal and Primate of Spain
Knight of the Golden Fleece

See also:

Rank Flags 1923-1931 and 1938-1977 (Spain)
Army Rank Flags 1930-1931 (Spain)
Naval Rank Flags
Historical Flags 1785-1931 (Spain)
Spain

Introduction

The Decree on rank flags of 18th February 1914 appears to have been the first time when the current system of rank flags with blue and red discs for Spanish admirals was adopted. The discs were smaller at the time, though, their diameter defined as 1/3 of the width of the yellow stripe, thus 1/6 of the hoist.

Calvo and Grávalos 1983 claims that there was some kind of flag regulation issued in 1923, which may imply either:

that it was in 1923 when the larger discs were first adopted, or
that Calvo and Grávalos 1983 mistakes the date of the 1914 Decree.

After researching all the 1923 issues of the Official Bulletin (Gaceta de Madrid), there appears to be no 1923 flag legislation at all. In the latter case, the rank flags would have been used until the Republic was proclaimed in April 1931, and possibly also 1936-1945.

Luis Miguel Arias, translated by Santiago Dotor, 24 Apr 2002

Minister of the Crown

Ministro Real

1:1
image by Miles Li and Luis Miguel Arias, 28 Apr 2010

Minister of the Navy (Ministro Naval)

Ministro Naval

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image by Miles Li and Luis Miguel Arias, 28 Apr 2010

Source: Spanish-American War Centennial website

Admiral of the Navy

Almirante de Armada

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image by Miles Li and Luis Miguel Arias, 28 Apr 2010

Source: Spanish-American War Centennial website

Captain-General of a Maritime Department

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image by Miles Li and Luis Miguel Arias, 28 Apr 2010

Source: Spanish-American War Centennial website

Until recently the Spanish Navy had three major "Maritime Departments", or Naval Squadrons, namely the Maritime Department of the North, the South Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. Therefore a "Captain-General of a Maritime Department" would be more or less equivalent to a "vice-amiral d'escadre" of the French Navy.

Miles Li, 28 Apr 2010