Last modified: 2005-03-26 by dov gutterman
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Browsing the net recently I discovered the site "Ships
and Flags" by Josef Nusse at <home.t-online.de/home/josef.nuesse>
. The flags article is interesting since it show the changes in
house flags that were influenced by the political situation in
former Yugoslavia. The article is named "From Socialist
Republic of Yugoslavia to the Federal Republic of Croatia -
Development of House Flags" . Textually the article is
rather short, so I quote it in full:
"In 1991 Croatia within a part of the Socialist Republic of
Yugoslavia proclaimed independence and became the Federative
[sic!] Republic of Croatia. A result was the change of logos from
shipping companies with residence in Croatia. Especially the 'Red
Star' as the symbol of Socialism was removed. Some examples below
may give you a short impresson.
- logo changed
- traditional logo (without change)
- new formed company
- quit service."
[The word Federative above is errornous.]
Though the article and it's title mention Croatia only, some
companies (so flags too) are actually from Slovenia or Montenegro
(FR Yugoslavia, that is), and I'll indicate that as appropriate.
Each of the four cathegoris is give one or more examples,
illustrated with photos of real flags (not flying!). The first
group is by far most interesting, showing the change of
flags of the same company (that in the same time in some cases
changed the name more or less).
Željko Heimer, 15 June 2001
One may notice that the flags of various (all state owned)
companise of the socialist period were prefferably of this same
pattern with star within lozenge, bordered or not, on
monocoloured field - in various colour combinations.
Željko Heimer, 24 November 2004
As in most other cases the companies were state- (or society-) owned until the end of socialism and then privatized and became "share society" indicated by abbreviation "d.d." after the name.
by Željko Heimer, 15 June 2001
Blue flag with two thin horizontal white stripes and white
disk containing a red five-pointed star. Josef shows the star
pointing down, but I think that it must be mistake - in all cases
the star should be upwards IMHO though I don't have any firm
evidence but my "feeling" - the downpointing star was
not an usual sight.
Željko Heimer, 15 June 2001
I agree that Josef appears to display his flag upside
down and all other sources agree with this portrayal.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 January 2004
US Navy 1961 shows a completely different flag of a green pennant with
a white circle bearing the black letters "LP".
Neale Rosanoski, 10 November 2004
Lošninjska plovidba, Mali Lošinj (Lošninjska
plovidba d.d., Mali Lošinj) - The flag is blue with two
white thin horizontal stripes in the middle and white disk with
red five-pointed star. Similar flag with the star replaced by
letters LP is used since 1990. The company for international and
coastal transport was established in 1956 included beside
shipping also shipbuilding and tourism. In 1986 maintained fleet
of 21 merchant ships (including 5 ro-ro ships). In 1962
integraded the company Kvarner (est. 1954).
Sources: Josef Nüsse: Ships and Flags.
Pomorski leksikon, Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod
"Miroslav Krleža", Zagreb, 1990.
See also: Modern Housflags (1990-)
Željko Heimer, 20 October 2004
Note: No. 2. Splosna plovba Portoroz (Splosna plovba Portoroz) from Slovenia.
by Željko Heimer, 15 June 2001
The flag was five-striped blue-white-red-white-blue with
virtual white square roatated 45 degress with diagonal equal to
three stripes cut from the red stripe containing five-pointed red
star. The flag is in ratio 3:5~. Here the star is, as expected,
pointing upwards.
The company rejected Yugoslav attribute from the name and changed
the flag entirely in early 1990's. (See: Tankerska Plovidba).
Željko Heimer, 15 June 2001
Jugotanker, Zadar (Jugoslavenska tankerska plovidba, Zadar) -
The flag is five-striped blue-white-red-white-blue with white
square lozenge in the middle with red five-pointed star.
Established in 1955 in Zadar specialized in liquid cargo (oil)
owned 11 tanker ships including two largest in the Yugoslav
merchant fleet and over a dozen of lesser cargo ships. In 1962
includes also the company "Zadar". In early
1990's the company dropped the Yugoslav attribute from the name
and changed the flag entirely.
Sources: Josef Nüsse: Ships and Flags.Vladimir
Isaic: Pomorski obicaji i tradicije, Adamic, Rijeka, 2001.
Željko Heimer, 21 November 2004
by Željko Heimer, 15 June 2001
Blue flag with white lozenge (a la Brazilian flag) with red five-pointed star in the middle.
Jugolinija, Rijeka (Jugoslavenska linijska plovidba Rijeka) -
The flag is blue with white lozenge with red five-pointed star in
the middle. The company was established in 1947 with 18 ships,
reaching size of 57 ships and over 3000 employees in 1986. In
1949 merged with Jugoslavenska slobodna plovidba. In 1950's over
two dozen ships divded to newly formed companies (Splošna
plovidba Piran, Jugotanker, Atlantska, Jugooceanija). Since 1992
operates under the name of Croatia Line.
Sources: Josef Nüsse: Ships and Flags.
Brown's Flags and Funnels comp. F.J.N. Wedge, 5th
edition, Glasgow, Brown, Son & Ferguson, 195x (Thanks to Ian
Sumner). Vladimir Isaic: Pomorski obicaji i tradicije, Adamic,
Rijeka, 2001. Pomorski leksikon, Jugoslavenski leksikografski
zavod "Miroslav Krleža", Zagreb, 1990.
Željko Heimer, 1 November 2004
Brown 1951 [5th edition] shows a red flag with a white diamond
throughout bearing a red star though it is changed to a blue
field, by all subsequent sources, still with the diamond
throughout which seems to be incorrect i.e. should be in line
with the version shown. Whether this initial showing by Brown
1951 represents an error or indicates a change is unclear.
Neale Rosanoski, 10 November 2004
The company changed name in 1992 (says Josef Nüsse: Ships and Flags,
I think it must have been before) to Croatia
Line and adopted a logo-like flag.
Željko Heimer, 15 June 2001
The red flag I have described as shown in Brown 1951 turns out
to be a mix up by that publication as it obviously meant to be
that of Jugoslavenska slobodna plovidba.
Brown has compounded the error by showing the blue flag version
of Jugoslavenska Linijska under the heading of Jugoslavenska
Slobodna.
Neale Rosanoski, 25 February 2005
The next group of is titled "Traditional logos" that is, here are the house flags that were "ideologically neutral" and continued to be used after 1990's without change. Josef gives three examples (though I am not sure if all three still do exists).
by Željko Heimer, 16 June 2001
Red flag with blue bordered white lozenge containing golden
company initials MP. Ratio 3:5~.
Željko Heimer, 16 June 2001
by Željko Heimer, 16 June 2001
Red over blue bicolour, overall an anchor between comany
initials AP all white. Ratio 3:5~.
Željko Heimer, 16 June 2001
Atlantska plovidba, Dubrovnik (Atlantska plovidba d.d.
Dubrovnik) - The flag is red over blue with white anchor between
company initials. Reaching in history to 1880, since 1955 the
company was renamed Atlantska plovidba, changing the initials in
the flag, and is still leading shipping company in Dubrovnik.
Source: Josef Nüsse: Ships and Flags <home.t-online.de/home/josef.nuesse>.
Željko Heimer, 20 October 2004
Formed in 1955 and noted as the successor to Dubrovačka
plovidba, the company history from their website <www.atlant.hr>
shows that this was not a direct change there being a
gap of 8 years between the nationalization of the one into
Jugolinija and the formation of Atlantska following pressure for
the decentralization of the shipping industry.
Neale Rosanoski, 10 November 2004
by Željko Heimer, 22 November 2004
Blue flag with white stylized letter S (with hatchek).
Željko Heimer, 16 June 2001
And, finally the last part are those companies that quit service. Actually I am not sure that it is quite correct - they might have changed names (and owners etc.) in the mean time and maybe it is not easy to see the direct sucessors. For one I have already suggested a possibility, while the other two are from Montenegro, and even maybe they are not much present in international shipping (no doubt, due to the international sactions imposted to Yugoslavia) they, or then sucessor companies might well emerge sooner or latter. But, I would guess that they would be dropping their stars, too.
1. Jugoslavenska oceanska plovidba Kotor (also known as Jugooceanija) (Montenegro).
by Željko Heimer, 16 June 2001
White flag with red bordered voided lozenge with red
five-pointed star. Ratio 3:5~. Josef show this flag with star
pointing downwards. I believe that it is wrong.
Željko Heimer, 16 June 2001
Also known as the Adriatic Line, officially changed name 1991
to Jadrolinija (by which it had previously been known) according
to Lloyds although initially they showed it as first Jadrolinja
P.O. and then as Javno Poduzece "Jadrolinja" P.O..
Again the original source image appears to have been upside down
but even more interesting is that other sources (Stewart and
Brown) show the diamond frame as being wholly throughtout the
flag and coloured blue, not red.
Neale Rosanoski, 3 January 2004
Jadrolinija, Rijeka (Jadranska Linijska Plovidba - Rijeka) -
The flag is white with red voided lozenge and red five-pointed
star. In 1990 the company entirely changed the visual identity.
The company was known also as Adriatic Line and Javno
Poduzece "Jadrolinja" P.O. It was established in 1947
after nationalization of the company Jadranska plovidba of
Sušak. In 1986 owing 49 ships (14 cruisers, 31 coastal
ferries and 4 internetional ferries). In 1996 organized as an
action society, in the 2001 operating 48 ships and over 1,500
employees. See Jadrolinija (1990-).
Sources: Josef Nüsse: Ships and Flags.
Brown's Flags and Funnels comp. F.J.N. Wedge, 5th
edition, Glasgow, Brown, Son & Ferguson, 195x (Thanks to Ian
Sumner). Brown's Flags and Funnels comp. F.J.N. Wedge,
6th edition, Glasgow, Brown, Son & Ferguson, 1958. (Thanks to
Ian Sumner). Vladimir Isaic: Pomorski obicaji i tradicije,
Adamic, Rijeka, 2001. Hrvatska Enciklopedija, Leksikografski
zavod "Miroslav Krleža", 2003. Pomorski leksikon,
Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod "Miroslav
Krleža", Zagreb, 1990.
Željko Heimer, 1 November 2004
Note: No 3 is Prekookeanska plovidba Bar (Montenegro).
by Željko Heimer, 20 October 2004
Dubrovačka plovidba, Dubrovnik (Dubrovačka Plovidba A.D.
Dubrovnik) - The flag is horizontally divided in red over blue
with an ancorh in the middle between letters DP. The flag is
virtually the same as the pre-WWII Dubrovačka
parobrodska plovidba. I think that this may just be an older
flag showing in a newer book, not unusual. However, it might have
been used until 1955.
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels comp. F.J.N. Wedge,
5th edition, Glasgow, Brown, Son & Ferguson, 195x (Thanks to
Ian Sumner).
Željko Heimer, 20 October 2004
According to the Atlantska Plovidba website <www.atlant.hr>, the name was
changed in 1938 from Dubrovacka Parobrodska Plovidba
a.d, so the flag would have applied until 1947 when, to quote
from the website “Only nine ships (42.000 GRT) out of the
200.000 GRT fleet "survived" the II World War and
convoy assignments. By decision of post war Yugoslav authorities
these nine ships, along with the remaining Yugoslav merchant
fleet, were nationalised and allotted to the centralised Yugoslav
company "Jugolinija" based in Rijeka”, the company
Jujolinija being at that time named Jugoslavenska Linijsaka
Plovidba.
Neale Rosanoski, 10 November 2004
by Željko Heimer, 22 November 2004
Today - Mediteranska plovidba d.d., Korcula - The company was established 1955 as Korculansko-pel
