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War Ensigns and other Naval Flags 1817-1867 (Prussia, Germany)

Last modified: 2004-08-07 by santiago dotor
Keywords: prussia: kingdom | preussen | eagle (black) | coat of arms | military | iron cross | cross: formy (black) | commissioning pennant | senior officer |
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War Ensign 1817-1818

[War Ensign 1817-1818 (Prussia, Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé

Crowned black eagle with gold scepter and gold decorated blue orb. In the upper hoist, an Iron Cross.

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

The history of the first Prussian ensign is quite complex and Jaume Ollé's design is wrong in many aspects. The first Prussian warship was built in 1816 (the Stralsund) and it needed an ensign. On the 24 November, three projects were presented to the king who chose the design of the black eagle in heraldic form, on a white background charged in the canton with the iron cross. The ensign was first used in the spring of 1817. The design of the eagle was however badly interpreted and on 18 November 1818 the Ministry of Interior sent to the Ministry of War a note on which it was said that the eagle's design didn't correspond to the one adopted on 9 January 1817. The note listed the mistakes:

  1. The royal crown was red lined, which was not correct following the development of the Prussian crown; moreover, the crown should have only been the arcs of a royal crown.
  2. The gold letters "FR" [Fredericus Rex] on the eagle's breast were missing.
  3. The small eagle on the sceptre was missing.
  4. The eagle should show its tongue while, on the contrary, it was biting it.
(Jaume Ollé's image is a mix of the wrong and of the correct design.) The ensign was corrected and, at the same time, its shape was modified becoming swallowtailed.

Mario Fabretto, 10 August 1998

Norie and Hobbs 1848 show under "116: Prussian War [ensign]" the above flag except the iron cross is not fringed white, the wings have white cloverstalks, and over it a white-white-white pennant. I wonder if the pennant should actually have been black-white-black.

Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001

War Ensign 1818-1867

Reported 1842, 1848, 1858 and 1906

[War Ensign 1818-1867 (Prussia, Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé

White swallow-tailed flag with a crowned black Prussian eagle with gold scepter and gold orb, with an Iron Cross in the upper hoist. (Alexander lists usage as 1858-1863, another source lists 1850-1863; it is possible that the design was slightly different in the 40s and maybe early 50s).

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

The ensign was confirmed in 1850 and disappeared from the seas on 1 October 1867, being restricted in its use to internal waters until 1918. Around 1890 the eagle's design was modified as on the national flag. After 1863 the ensigns (including the merchant one) were mainly used in their rectangular form (not swallow-tailed).

Mario Fabretto, 10 August 1998

An article by Dr. Whitney Smith, Gwenn ha Du (black and white) in Ar Banniel, 1999, mentions "6. Kingdom of Prussia - Naval Ensign (1823-1867) - Swallow-tailed, white field with Prussian eagle and Iron Cross in canton."

Ivan Sache, 2 August 1999

War Ensign, reported 1862

[War Ensign, reported 1862 (Prussia, Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé

Like the 1823 civil ensign, but not swallow tailed [and with a hoist Iron Cross].

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

Possibly a civil ensign for Naval Reserve officers, in a similar way to the Imperial "merchant flag with the Iron Cross"?

Santiago Dotor, 12 July 2000

War Ensign 1892-1918

Reported as Ensign and Service Flag 1905

[War Ensign 1892-1918 (Prussia, Germany)]
by Jaume Ollé

Like the 1863 civil ensign, but with redesigned eagle. Used as top mast flag on the battleship "Preussen" during the Weimar Republic. Illustrated Alexander 1992 p.106, Crampton 1990 p. 42 and Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 1912 vol. 4, facing p. 799.

Norman Martin, 20 January 1998

The ensign must have the Iron Cross in the canton. The eagle has the design introduced around 1890. From 1 October 1867 until 1918 when it disappeared, the ensign was used only on inland waters.

Mario Fabretto, 17 August 1998

An article by Dr. Whitney Smith, Gwenn ha Du (black and white) in Ar Banniel, 1999, mentions "7. Kingdom of Prussia - Naval Ensign (variant) - same as 6., without Iron Cross."

Ivan Sache, 2 August 1999

Variant, reported as Royal Ships

[War Ensign 1892-1918 (Prussia, Germany), variant reported as Royal Ships]
by Jaume Ollé

Jack 1863-1867

Also Admiral's Flag 1863-1945 and 1956-nowadays

[Jack and Admiral's Flag 1863-1867 (Prussia, Germany)] 1:1
by Marcus Schmöger

The German editors of Norie and Hobbs 1971 added two charts (which were not originally in Norie and Hobbs 1848) with German flags that were important over time. One of them is no. 12 Admiralsflagge und Gösch (admiral's flag and jack), as the current admiral's flag.

Peter Hans van der Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001

Meuß 1916, plate 8, shows the square white