^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Spain: Naval rank flags, 1914-1931

Legislation
Royal Decree of 18 February 1914

See also:

Legislation

The Royal Decree signed on 18 February 1914 and published on 21 February 1914 in Gaceta de Madrid, No. 52, appears to have been the first time when the current system of rank flags with blue and red discs for Spanish admirals was adopted. The discs were smaller at the time, though; their diameter is defined as 1/3 of the width of the yellow stripe, thus 1/6 of the hoist.

Luis Miguel Arias & Santiago Dotor, 30 April 2002

Royal Decree of 18 February 1914

Chapter 1. Command flags
Article 1. A ship or vessel carrying HM the King, HM the Queen or HRH the Prince or Princess of Asturias, shall fly the Royal standard (square flag). One carrying TRH the Infantes of Spain shall fly the Royal standard with a swallow-tailed cut.

Article 2. Ministers of the Crown shall fly a square Spanish flag with the national coat of arms on its centre.

Article 3. The Minister of the Navy shall fly a square flag in the national colors, with on its centre two crossed anchors of blue bunting.

Article 4. The Captain-General of the Navy shall fly a square flag [in the national colors] with an anchor of blue bunting, whose shank, placed horizontally, shall be as long as two thirds of the length of the flag; the stock shall be placed on the hoist side.

Article 5. Admirals shall fly a square flag [in the national colours] with three discs of blue bunting, placed horizontally on the yellow stripe. The diameter of the discs shall be one third of the width of this stripe.

Article 6. Vice Admirals in command shall fly a square flag [in the national colors] with two blue discs, placed horizontally [on the yellow stripe] at equal distances from the centre. The said discs shall be red for the command flag of subordinate Vice Admirals.

Article 7. Rear Admirals in command shall have a single blue disc on the centre of the square flag [in the national colors], and subordinate Rear Admirals a red disc.

Article 8. Captains commanding a Division shall fly the national [in the national colors] swallow-tailed pennant with a blue disc on the centre of the yellow stripe, and Commanders and Lieutenant commanders shall use, in the same case [when commanding a Division], the swallow-tailed pennant in the national colours with no disc.

Article 9. Other Senior and Junior Officers of the Navy commanding a ship shall use the national commissioning pennant.
The Senior Officer in command in a gathering of several ships shall fly the national triangle [a pennant in the national colors], which shall be lowered at first sight of any higher command flag.
Article 10. On boats and launches, the above mentioned Authorities shall fly from a bow mast their command flag, and the Chiefs-of-Staff of Naval Stations and Squadrons and Provincial Commanders of the Navy the appropriate flags for their rank.

Chapter II. Rank flags to be flown by ships when carrying Authorities.

Article 1. Captain-Generals of the Army shall fly, when on board, a swallow-tailed flag in regulation sizes, with the national colors set vertically in stripes of the same width, with on the centre of the yellow one two crossed batons with their hilts to the top.
Article 2. Lieutenant-Generals commanding Districts, when on board or sailing in coastal waters of their region, shall fly the same swallow-tailed flag with three discs of blue bunting, placed vertically on the yellow stripe. The diameter of the discs shall be half the width of the stripe.
Article 3. Division Generals, Military Governors of Provinces or Naval Fortresses, shall fly on waters under their jurisdiction the swallow-tailed flag with two [blue] discs.
Article 4. Brigade Generals shall fly in identical cases the same swallow-tailed flag with a single [blue] disc.
Article 5. Ambassadors, Ministers Plenipotentiary, Ministers Resident and Chargés d'Affaires or General Consuls, shall fly, respectively, the same rank flags as the Captain-Generals, Lieutenant-Generals, Division Generals and Brigade Generals, but with a white square on the top part of the red stripe by the hoist, occupying all the width of the stripe.
Article 6. All rank flags shall be flown on ships always under the national commissioning pennant, and on boats from the bow mast, but shall never be used on ships at the sight of any higher command or rank flag.
Article 7. The referred Authorities shall have the honors and salutes assigned by the Regulations.
Article 8. No other command and rank flags other than those specified and described in this Royal Decree may be used.

Luis Miguel Arias & Santiago Dotor, 30 April 2002; all images by Luis Miguel Arias, 29 April 2002