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Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945): Flags at sea

Naval ensign
Civil ensign
Postal Service pennant
Treasury Guard pennant
Harbor Police pennant
Naval rank flags

See also:

Naval ensign

Naval ensign of the Independent State of Croatia - Image by Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

The naval ensign (photo) is a banner of the arms of Croatia, made of twenty-five white and red squares. The flag was used on the stern of naval vessels and on all offices and unit of the Navy.

Željko Heimer, 29 October 2011

Naval ensign, 1944 (unconfirmed)

Naval ensign of the Independent State of Croatia, 1944, unconfirmed design - Image by Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

Dr. O. Neubecker's papers include a whole list of flags of the Independent State of Croatia dated 1944, probably prepared for the next update of the Kriegsmarine's Flaggenbuch [neu92]. These flags certainly originate from Croatia, but their source and status are not confirmed. One assumption is that these are proposals that were never actually adopted. They were not confirmed by any other independent source.

The naval ensign shown in O. Neubecker's papers is the Croatian tricolor with the State coat of arms offset towards the hoist; the axis is on 7/18 of the flag's length, its height is 1/2 of the flag's width. The naval flags often use emblems offset to hoist to ensure a better visibility when the flag is fluttering in wind, and to gain effect of visual symmetry.
According to the source, together with this flag was used a jack equal to the earlier naval ensign.

Željko Heimer & Emil Dreyer, 31 August 2001

Civil ensign

Civil ensign of the Independent State of Croatia - Image by Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

The merchant ensign is equal to the State flag, but omitting the shield in the middle. According to the movies from the period, it seems that the civil vessels used, unofficially, the simple undefaced tricolor, that is the "Croatian national flag", as called by Law-Decree of 1941.

Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

Postal Service pennant

Pennant of the Postal Service of the Independent State of Croatia - Image by Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

The rožac (triangular pennant, wimpel) of the Postal Service is in the Croatian national colours. The red and blue field are 1/6 of the flag's width near the hoist and diminish towards the fly point. In the white field there is a blue posthorn, of size 1/7:3/8 of the flag's width at hoist, with the centre set up at 3/8 of the flag's width from the hoist.

Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

Treasury Guard pennant

Pennant of the Treasury Guard of the Independent State of Croatia - Image by Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

The rožac (triangular pennant, wimpel) of the Treasury Guard (financial control organisation) is green with a running marten in proper color (brown). The dimensions and position of the marten are the same as for the posthorn in the postal pennant.

Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

Harbor Police pennant

Pennant of the Harbor Police of the Independent State of Croatia - Image by Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001

The rožac (triangular pennant, wimpel) of the Harbor Police is equal to the postal pennant, but with two fouled anchors in saltire in place of the posthorn. The dimensions of the symbol are 1/5:3/14 of the flag's width near hoist.

Željko Heimer, 31 August 2001