Last modified: 2016-03-24 by ivan sache
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Originally used to signal units on land or landing corpses, the
pennants, non mandatory, were purchased by the units. Today the
symbols of the moral statutes of the units, the pennants are strictly
regulated. Their design must be approved by the Chief of Staff of the
Navy before they can be manufactured by the Navy relevant services.
The decorations granted to the unit are pinned on the pennant.
The pennants of the disbanded units are kept by the Historical Service
of the Navy and showed in a honour room of the Queen's Pavilion in the
Castle of Vincennes, where they can be seen every Wednesday, 14:00-17:00.
[Rear Admiral Kessler. Les témoins du sacrifice. Cols Bleus, No. 2326, 11 November 1995]
Ivan Sache, 14 March 2009
The Navy has two sorts of pennants: unit pennants (mostly ships) and company pennants, the latter being used only by pupils of Naval schools. The pennants appear in two sizes: "B" pennants (40 cm x 50 cm) and "C" (30 cm x 40 cm), used by companies. Apparently, the colors are not regulated.
The obverse bears the embroidered name of the unit, anchors are optional. The reverse has a symbolic emblem. The symbolic emblem has to be approved:
- for local Naval authorities, commandements organiques (operational branches), Naval Air Force bases and units, the emblem is an escutcheon, in proportions 13:16, with a chief azure, a Naval Air Force emblem or and a mural crown or. Maritime Prefect services' escutcheons have a mural crown with five towers, and are supported by two rostres (naval rams stylized as some sort of tridents);
- for other units, the choice of the emblem is free as long as they are not too fanciful and chosen with "good taste". The only obligation is that the emblem must include either an anchor or rigging.
A pennant can have a golden fringe of 3 cm at most. The homologation number, preceded by letter "M", is reproduced on the sleeve, in the same color as the field. The finial is either a pike or an anchor (long of 10 cm at most) and its size is proportional to the size of the pennant.
A pennant cannot receive military honors, and cannot escort a flag or be escorted. The département decides which units can have pennants and which their size will be. The school directors assign pennants to their companies.
Sources:
- Official texts
- Navy websites
Corentin Chamboredon, 29 August 2015
Here is the list, no longer accurate, of unit pennants as given by Rear Admiral Kessler (Les témoins du sacrifice. Cols Bleus, No. 2326, 11 November 1995).
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Submarines
Le Téméraire (S 617) Le Triomphant (S 616) L'Inflexible (S 615) L'Indomptable (S 613) Perle (S 606) Améthyste (S 605) Émeraude (S 604) Casabianca (S 603) Saphir (S 602) Rubis (S 601) Surveillance frigates Floréal (F 730)Prairial (F 731) Nivôse (F 732) Ventôse (F 733) Vendémiaire (F 734) Germinal (F 735) Landing-barge transport vessels Foudre (L 9011)Siroco (L 9012) Ouragan (L 9011) Orage (L 9012) |
Aircraft carriers
Charles de Gaulle (R 91) Jeanne d'Arc (R 97) Corvettes (avisos) Lieutenant de Vaisseau Le Hénaff (F 789)Lieutenant de Vaisseau Lavallée (F 790) Commandant l'Herminier (F 791) Premier Maître l'Her (F 792) Commandant Blaison (F 793) Enseigne de Vaisseau Jacoubet (F 794) Commandant Ducuing (F 795) Commandant Birot (F 796) Commandant Bouan (F 797) P400-type patrol boats L'Audacieuse (P 682) La Boudeuse (P 683) La Capricieuse (P 684) La Fougueuse (P 685) La Glorieuse (P 686) La Gracieuse (P 687) La Moqueuse (P 688) La Railleuse (P 689) La Rieuse (P 690) La Tapageuse (P 691) |
Anti-aircraft frigates
Duquesne (D 603) Cassard (D 614) Jean Bart (D 615) Light-transport vessels Champlain (L 9030)Francis Garnier (L 9031) Dumont d'Urville (L 9032) Jacques Cartier (L 9033) La Grandière (L 9034) Other patrol boats Albatros (P 681) Flamant (P 676) Cormoran (P 677) Pluvier (P 678) Grèbe (P 676) Sterne (P 680) |
Anti-submarine frigates
Tourville (D 610) De Grasse (D 612) Georges Leygues (D 640) Dupleix (D 641) Montcalm (D 642) Jean de Vienne (D 643) Primauguet (D 644) La Motte-Picquet (D 645) Latouche-Tréville (D 646) Landing barges and vessels Flotille amphibie Sabre (L 9051) Rapière (L 9061) Hallebarde (L 9062) |
La Fayette-type frigates
La Fayette (F 710) Surcouf (F 711) Courbet (F 712) Aconit (F 713) Guépratte (F 714) Minesweepers Éridan (M 641) Cassiopée (M 642) Andromède (M 643) Pégase (M 644) Orion (M 645) Croix du Sud (M 646) L'Aigle (M 647) Lyre (M 648) Persée (M 649) Sagittaire (M 650) Verseau (M651) Céphée (M 652) Capricorne (M 653) |
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Resupplying tankers
Meuse (A 607) Var (A 608) Marne (A 630) Somme (A 631) |
Hydrographic vessels
Lapérouse (A 791) Borda (A 792) Laplace (A 793) Arago (A 795) |
Experimentation vessels
Monge (A 601) Bougainville (L 9077) D'Entrecasteaux (A 787) |
Operating-forces support vessels
Loire (A 615) Jules Verne (A 620) |
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Marines and commandos
Marines and commandos base (Base des fusiliers marins et commandos) Brest Marines Group (Groupement des fusiliers marins de Brest) (photo) Toulon Marines Group (Groupement des fusiliers marins de Toulon) Cherbourg Marines Company (Compagnie de fusiliers marins de Cherbourg) Lann-Bihoué Marines Company (Compagnie de fusiliers marins de Lann-Bihoué) (photo) Nîmes-Garons Marines Company (Compagnie de fusiliers marins de Nîmes-Garons) South France Marines Company (Compagnie de fusiliers marins de France Sud) Rosnay Marines Company (Compagnie de fusiliers marins de Rosnay) L'Île-Longue Marines Company (Compagnie de fusiliers marins de l'Île-Longue) Jaubert Commando Trépel Commando De Montfort Commando De Penfentenyo Commando Hubert Commando Navy air bases, entrepôts and centers Landivisiau Navy Air Base (Base aéronautique navale de Landivisiau)Lanvéoc-Poulmic Navy Air Base Lann-Bihoué Navy Air Base Saint-Mandrier Navy Air Base Nîmes-Garons Navy Air Base HyÉres Navy Air Base Tontouta Navy Air Base Cuers-Pierrefeu Navy Air Base Dugny-Le Bourget Navy Air Base Toussus-le-Noble Navy Air Base Lann-Bihoué Navy Air Main Entrepôt (Entrepôt principal de l'aéronautique navale de Lann-Bihoué) Cuers Navy Air Main Entrepôt Millé Center (Centre Millé) Navy Air Squadrons 10 S (Lynx, Alouette III) 22 S (Alouette III) 50 S (Rallye, Cap 10) 56 S (Nord 232) 57 S (Falcon 10) Marseilles Navy Firefighters Battalion 1st Company (Endoume) 2nd Company (Louvain) 3rd Company (Saint-Pierre) 4th Company (Plombières) 5th Company (La Bigue) 6th Company (Plombières Technical Center) 7th Company (Port-de-Bouc) 8th Company (Navy Firefighters College) (photo) 9th Company (Command and Support Company) 10th Company (Marignane) 11th Company (Plombières Medical Center) Navy Instruction Centers Brest Navy Instruction Center (Centre d'instruction naval de Brest) Petty Officers College, 1st Company (École de maistrance, 1e compagnie) Petty Officers College, 2nd Company Petty Officers College, 3rd Company Petty Officers College, 4th Company Petty Officers College, 5th Company Seamen Class, 11th Company (Cours des matelots, 11e compagnie) Seamen Class, 12th Company Seamen Class, 13th Company Navy Higher Military Instruction (Préparation militaire supérieure marine) Querqueville Navy Instruction Center Saint-Mandrier Navy Instruction Center |
Submarine force on-land units
L'Île-Longue Base Mediterranean Base Training Center of Submarine Forces (Centre de préparation des forces sous-marines) Missile-throwing Submarine Squadron (Escadrille des sous-marins lanceurs d'engins) Attack Nuclear Submarine Squadron (Escadrille des sous-marins nucléaires d'attaque) Acoustic Interpretation and Identification Center (Centre d'interprétation et de reconnaissance acoustique) Rosnay Transmission Center (Centre de transmissions de Rosnay) Navy Air Flotillas 4 F (Hawkeye) 11 F (Super-Étendard) 12 F (Rafale M) 17 F (Super-Étendard) 21 F (Atlantique 2) 23 F (Atlantique 2) 24 F (Falcon 50, Nord 262, Xingu) 25 F (Gardian) 28 F (Nord 262, Xingu) 31 F (Lynx) 32 F (Super-Frelon) 34 F (Lynx) 35 F (Dauphin, Alouette III) 36 F (Panther) Navy bases Adour Navy Base (Base navale de l'Adour) Fort-de-France Navy Base Nouméa Navy Base Papeete Navy Base Ports des Galets Navy Base Navy Colleges Salon-de-Provence Navy Air College (École d'aéronautique navale de Salon-de-Provence) Navy Air College (École d'aéronautique de la Marine) Atomic Energy Military Applications College (École des applications militaires de l'énergie atomique) Marines College (École des fusiliers marins) (photo) Navy Firefighters College (École des marins-pompiers) Harbingers College (École des fourriers) Maneuver and Navigation College (École de manœuvre et de navigation) Takeoff Deck Staff College (École du personnel de pont d'envol) Diving College (École de plongée) Naval Command Colleges' Group (Groupe des écoles du commissariat de la Marine) Embarked Helicopters Specialization College (École de spécialisation sur hélicoptères embarqués) Flying Staff College (École du personnel volant) Hyères Training and Instruction Center (Centre d'entraînement et d'instruction de Hyères) Lanvéoc-Poulmic Training and Instruction Center |
Recently decommissioned vessels
Garonne (A 601)Ivan Sache & Esteban Rivera, 30 August 2015
The badges (description) used by Navy Air Force units are regulated by Ministerial
Decree No 2789 EMG/M/AERO/0 of 31 October 1946. Claiming that most
badges used beforehand had no elements related to the Navy Air Force,
the Minister stated that:
- the badge should be made of a shield of modern shape, in proportions
13:16;
- the chief of the badge should have an height of 3/16 of the height
of the badge and bear the "penguin", that is the emblem of the Navy
Air Force (an anchor with a star in its upper part, over two wings,
all in gold);
- the emblem of the unit should be placed in the main field of the
shield.
On 7 February 1947, the Decree was amended, prescribing the addition
of a golden mural crown surmounting the shield of the Navy Air bases,
considered as "fortified towns" (places), and of the name of the
base on the shield.
In 1951, an official homologation procedure of the badges was set up,
the approved badges being numbered "M ...", "M" standing for
"Marine" (Navy). Decree No. 808 EMM/CAB of 5 December 1985 did not
change anything to the prescription of the unit badges.
Differences in details of the badges are due to manufacturer's license or even gross mistake. The Fréjus-Saint-Raphaêl base was granted a badge without the crown while the 31F squad was granted a badge with the crown, quickly corrected.
Ivan Sache, 23 March 2009
