Last modified: 2024-09-04 by 
zachary harden
Keywords: latvia | naval jack |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
Other fites:
Before the [Second World] war, Latvia had a red-white-red flag
for civil and state use and a white flag with a white cross
bordered red for warships.The jack was also based on the jack of
Russia.
Pascal Vagnat 27 November 1995
Latvia 1941: The merchant ensign is the same as the current
national flag. The state ensign is white with a burgundy (same
color as the national flag) cross with a narrow white cross on
top of it. The jack adds a burgundy saltire and a narrow white
saltire on top of it.
Nathan Augustine, 5 December 1995
I've seen the Latvian Ensign on a river patrol boat
photographed for the 1995 Military Technology Almanac (Military
Technology being a monthly magazine published in the
Netherlands). It also appears in the 1995-96 Jane's Fighting
Ships. However, it is referred to as the Ensign, not the WAR
Ensign. I believe, but have absolutely no evidence, that this
flag is used on both military and private vessels.
Nathan Augustine, 5 September 1996
image by Željko Heimer, 8 April 2002
According to Album 2000 [pay00]
- Naval Ensign (---/--W 2:3) - White flag with on a red cross
throughout a white cross. Album gives construction details as
(8+4+8):(13+4+13) which is fine but doesn't give a clue about the
relative width of the white cross. It is shown on the picture in
Album as being 1/3 of the red cross width, which is wrong, as far
as I am aware - I believe that the Flaggenbuch construction
details are still valid, being (20+4+2+4+20):75. This is how I
depict it.
Željko Heimer, 8 April 2002
From <www.navy.lv>:
"The Ensign - The basement of the Ensign is white phone
quadrilateral, in the center of which vertically and horizontally
are crossed colors of the State Flag and which width is 1/5 of
the flag width. The proportion between the length and the width
of the flag is 2:3.
The Ensign uses: The Ensign is the flag of Warship register of
Latvian Naval Forces of National Armed Forces of Latvian
Republic. All persons, who are on duty on warships have to
protect and to defend it; Ships of Naval Forces, which are
anchored or stay in docks, hoist the Ensign and hold on ensign
staff, but when the ship makes movements or replaces, then the
ensign replaces to the gaff; The ship of Naval Forces brings the
ensign: from o’clock 08.00 to the sunset in summertime, but
if the sun barks after the time 21.00 – the ensign strikes
down in 21.00, but in winter months from 09.00 o’clock to
the sunset; From the time of sunset to o’clock 08.00, and to
09.00 o’clock in winter, the ensign on the ship raises in
the following cases:
a)If the ship leaves the port or the raid and the ensign strikes
down, when the ship leaved the port or the raid,
b)When Ships of Naval Forces come in port or in raid. After the
ship placed the ensign draws down;
c)Ships of Naval Forces, standing in port or in raid, raise the
ensign, if in port or in raid come in or leave Latvian or other
countries warships. The ensign strikes down after the warship
placed or leaved the port or the raid;
In wartime, sawing the enemy and in fighting operation’s
time the ensign raises not only on the gaffs, but on the whole
mast’s top and stay day and night there. In fighting time to
guard the ensign have to be appointed the instructor, whose task
is not to allow nobody to remove it. In case if in the battle the
ensign guns down, on it place have to be raised new one, not to
give the enemy to think, that the ensign was struck down.
Warship ensign fly all Warship Flotilla’s, Coast Guard
Flotilla’s and Special ships with belonging to them
motorboats, ships` boats and boats, which are in the disposition
of Navy of Latvian National Armed Forces; The ensign hoists near
the Staffs of units of Latvian Naval Forces and in Divisions, and
strikes at one time with The Flag of Latvian State. The Ensign
must not be used, as the Flag of Naval Forces and it do not carry
in processions and outlooks."
Zach Harden, 1 September 2002
![[Jack of Latvia]](../images/l/lv-jack.gif)
image by Željko Heimer, 8 April 2002
According to Album 2000 [pay00]
- Jack (2:3) - White flag with cross and saltire in the national
colours. Album does not give any construction details but shows
the jack the same as it is in the Flaggenbuch, each arm being
4+2+4 in the overall flag of 50:75.
Željko Heimer, 8 April 2002
From <www.navy.lv>:
"Jack Flag - Jack Flag is the Ensign, which afforced by
colors of the State Flag, which diagonally cross the center; the
width of these diagonally crossed colors is 1/5 of the width of
the flag. The proportion of the width and of the length is 3: 2.
Jack Flag is making up in the following sizes (in millimeter): I
size – 660x440, II size – 990x660, III size –
2250x1500, IV size – 3000x2000.
All warships fly Jack Flag on the front flag’s mast of the
ship. Jack Flag hoists and strikes in one time with the Ensign,
but only then, when ships stay on anchor or in port near the
dock. Jack Flag do not hoist in nighttimes."
Zach Harden, 1 September 2002
image by Željko Heimer, 11 April 2002
According to Album 2000 [pay00]
- Masthead Pennant - White long swallowtailed pennant with the
naval ensign at hoist. Album pictures it quite matching the
construction details in [neu92],
but does not mention these details: width 8cm, length of the
naval ensign at hoist 24 cm, length of the white part max. 350
cm, depth of the indentation 100 cm.
Željko Heimer, 11 April 2002
From <www.navy.lv>:
"Warship Pendant - The Warship Pendant consists of the
basement and of white stripe. The basement of is Naval Forces
Flag, which is 8 cm width and 24 cm length. This basement
continues sewed on white flag cloth, which has the same width and
is not shorter than 3,5 meters long. There is a cut in the end of
the Pendant. It has keel form and it is 1meter depth. The Warship
Pendant is making up in the following sizes (in millimeter): I
size – 1040x80, II size – 2470x80; All Naval Forces`
ships, in maintenance of which are commissioned and is singly
possible to accomplish battle tasks, fly the Warship Pendant on
the top off the mast, Warship Pendant is singly day and night on
the mast. If the ship is going to maintenance for some
time, which is longer then 1 month, or the ship mismatch to the
prior point requirement, in that case the Warship Pendant
strikes."
Zach Harden, 1 September 2002
Racing stripe; by Zoltan Horvath, 25 June 2024
The ensign of the Coast Guard Service (Krasta apsardzes dienests), is the same as the naval ensign.
Zachary Harden, 4 September 2024
