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Kingdom of Italy (1848-1946) - Naval Rank Flags

Minister of the Navy
Undersecretary of Marine
Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces During Battle
Great admiral (or Admiral of the Fleet)
Chief of the Admiral Staff
Fleet Admiral (or Admiral (1st Class))
Vice-Admiral (1st Class)
Division Admiral (or Vice-Admiral (2nd Class))
Rear Admiral
Captain Chief of a Division
Senior Officer
Chief of a Flotilla of Destroyers, Torpedo Boats, Submarines, Battle Cruisers and Submarine Hunters
Chief of an Half-Flotilla of Destroyers
Chief of an Half-Flotilla of Torpedo Boats
Chief of an Half-Flotilla of Submarines
Chief of an Half-Flotilla of Cruisers and Submarine Hunters
Technical Corps
Vice-Admiral - Technical Corps (1st Class)

Vice-Admiral - Technical Corps (2ndClass)

Rear Admiral - Technical Corps

See also:

Minister of the Navy

by Miles Li, 6 December 2004

Instituted by general order dated February 26th 1927. Hoisted at the main to indicate the presence on board of the Minister of the Navy, and at the bow of ships' launches and other minor craft. To be saluted with 19 guns.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

The specifications for the flags are as follows:
- overall proportion, 20:30 (2:3)
- width of the yellow border, 1; distance to the border of the flag, 2
- overall proportion of (crown + anchor), 5 x 12 for the Minister's flag, 5 x15 for the Under Secretary's flag. In both cases, the crown and anchor are centered vertically.
Ivan Sache, 2 December 2004

Undersecretary of Marine

by Miles Li, 6 December 2004

Same as the Minister of the Navy, but to be saluted by only 17 guns.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces During Battle

by Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Square ensign with the Savoy cross (white on red) and a blue border.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Great admiral (or Admiral of the Fleet)

by Ivan Sache , 13 July 1999

Rectangular (2:3) blue ensign with four five-pointed yellow stars placed along the upper hoist-lower fly diagonal.
Now used by a Fleet Admiral.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Admiral of the Fleet - Instituted by general order No. 291, dated December 12th, 1926 and hoisted at the main to indicate the presence on board of an Admiral of the Fleet and on the bow of ships' launches and other minor craft. To be saluted with 19 guns. The stars on the Admirals' flags were six-pointed, but later changed to five points by a decree dated September 3rd, 1916.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Chief of the Admiral Staff

by Miles Li, 7 December 2004

Same as Great admiral, buth with a yellow border inside the flag. The number of stars (1 to 4) reflects the rank of the officer
Still in use by the Chief of Naval Staff (4 stars).
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Royal naval Chief of Staff (Note: the image is with 3 stars with the same kind of blue as other rank flags. ed.) - Instituted by general order No. 78, dated March 19th 1917. The number of stars displayed indicates the rank of the admiral. Hoisted at the main or on the bow of ships' launches and other minor craft. The stars on the Admirals' flags were six-pointed, but later changed to five points by a decree dated September 3rd, 1916
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Fleet Admiral (or Admiral (1st Class))

by Ivan Sache , 13 July 1999

Rank flags during World War II:
Ammiraglio di armata - A blue flag with three yellow stars arranged on an (imagined) line from the upper left to the lower right corner.
Source: Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II
Marcus Wendel , 5 September 1999

Same as Great Admiral, but with only three stars. Still in use.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Admiral (1st Class) - Instituted by general order No. 291 dated December 12th, 1926 and hoisted at the main to indicate the presence on board of an Admiral or on the bow of ships' launches and other minor craft. To be saluted with 17 guns. The stars on the Admirals' flags were six-pointed, but later changed to five points by a decree dated September 3rd, 1916
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Vice-Admiral (1st Class)

by Miles Li, 7 December 2004

Rank flags during World War II:
Ammiraglio di squarda - The same as above but with the middle star replaced by a crown.
Source: Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II
Marcus Wendel , 5 September 1999

Vice-Admiral (1st Class) - Instituted by general order No. 87 dated April 13th, 1939. Hoisted at the main to indicate the presence on board of a Vice Admiral or on the bow of ships' launches and other minor craft. To be saluted with 15 guns. The stars on the Admirals' flags were six-pointed, but later changed to five points by a decree dated September 3rd, 1916
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Division Admiral (or Vice-Admiral (2nd Class))

by Ivan Sache , 13 July 1999

Rank flags during World War II:
Ammiralgio di divisione - The same as above but with only two stars.
Source: Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II
Marcus Wendel , 5 September 1999

Same as Admiral, but with only two stars. Still in use.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Vice-Admiral (2nd Class) - Instituted by general order No. 291 dated December 12th, 1926 and hoisted at the main to indicate the presence on board of a Rear Admiral or on the bow of ships' launches and other minor craft. To be saluted with 13 guns. The stars on the Admirals' flags were six-pointed, but later changed to five points by a decree dated September 3rd, 1916
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Rear Admiral

by Ivan Sache , 13 July 1999

Rank flags during World War II:
Contrammiraglio - A blue flag with a centered yellow star .
Source: Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II
Marcus Wendel , 5 September 1999

Same as Admiral, but with only one star. Still in use.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Instituted by general order No. 291 dated December 12th, 1926 and hoisted at the main to indicate the presence on board of a Rear Admiral or on the bow of ships' launches and other minor craft. To be saluted with 11 guns. The stars on the Admirals' flags were six-pointed, but later changed to five points by a decree dated September 3rd, 1916
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Captain Chief of a Division

by Ivan Sache, 11 March 2000

Plain blue forked ensign. Still in use.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Captain commanding a naval division - Instituted by Royal Decree dated September 20th, 1882 hoisted at the main to indicate the presence on board of the Senior Captain, should several ships lie at anchor without a Flag being hoisted on any of them.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Senior Officer

by Ivan Sache ,13 July 1999

Plain blue pennant. Still in use.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Instituted by a general order dated September 11th, 1913 and hoisted at the foremast to indicate, should several destroyers or submarines come together, which ship has on board the senior officer.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Chief of a Flotilla of Destroyers, Torpedo Boats, Submarines, Battle
Cruisers and Submarine Hunters

by Ivan Sache, 13 July 1999

Pennant with ten alternating red and blue diagonal (upper hoist-lower fly) stripes.
Now used by a commodore commanding a flotilla.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Commander of a light units flotilla - Instituted by a general order dated June 8th 1923 and hoisted at the foremast to indicate the Commander of a Flotilla of any type of small units: destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, PT boats, etc.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Chief of an Half-Flotilla of Destroyers

by Ivan Sache , 13 July 1999

Pennant with seven alternating white and red diagonal (lower hoist-upper fly) stripes.
Now used by a captain commanding a flotilla.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Commander of a destroyers flotilla - Instituted by general order dated April 21st, 1904 and hoisted at the foremast to indicate the Commander of a formation of Destroyers.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Chief of an Half-Flotilla of Torpedo Boats

by Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Same with blue stripes instead of red.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Commander of a torpedo boats flotilla - Instituted by a general order dated September 11th, 1913 and hoisted at the foremast to indicate the Commander of a formation of torpedo boats.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Chief of an Half-Flotilla of Submarines

by Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Plain red pennant.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Commander of a submarines flotilla - Instituted by general order dated June 8th 1923 and hoisted to indicate the Commander of a formation of Submarines.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Chief of an Half-Flotilla of Cruisers and Submarine Hunters

by Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Pennant with five horizontal stripes, red-white-blue-white-red.
Source: Flaggenbuch [neu92].
Ivan Sache , 29 April 2000

Commander of a group of motor torpedo boats (M.A.S.) (PT boats) - Instituted by general order dated June 8th 1923 and hoisted to indicate the Commander of a formation of PT boats.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>

Technical Corps

General Officers of the Technical Corps of the Navy hoisted white flags with red stars, like generals of the Army. By general order No. 23 dated March 18th, 1944, they were granted the same blue flags as the Admirals, but with white stars instead of the yellow ones.
Ernesto Vitetti from <www.regiamarina.net>