Commissioning Pennant (Germany)

Kommandowimpel

Last modified: 2014-06-14 by pete loeser
Keywords: kommandowimpel | heimatwimpel | iron cross | cross: formy (black) | pennant |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors

• Description
• Homeward Bound Pennant - Heimatwimpel

• Naval Rank Flags
• The Iron Cross
• Rank Flags of the Imperial Navy 1871-1919
• Historical Flags of Germany
• Index of all German Pages

Description

White swallow-tailed flag with narrow Iron Cross in hoist. This flag was probably in use as early as 1867, certainly by the mid 1880s and continued in use until 1945. Illustrated Crampton 1990 p. 42, Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 1912 vol. 4, facing p. 799, National Geographic 1917 p. 350 and Flaggenbuch 1939 p. 5).
Norman Martin, 1998

According to the navy regulation [Marine Dienstvorschrift] MDv 161/1 (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung 1977), the Kommandowimpel (masthead pennant) is used by any officer commanding a warship in service. The masthead pennant is a long white pennant, containing the Iron Cross near the hoist. It comes in six different sizes: 3 × 150 cm, 4 × 150 cm, 6 × 350 cm, 8 × 350 cm, 9 × 650 cm, 12 × 650 cm. The image I made shows the pennant of the size 12 × 650 cm, thus in proportion ca. 1:54.
Marcus Schmöger, 21 November 2001

Homeward Bound Pennant

~1:120 Image by Marcus Schmöger

According to the navy regulation [Marine Dienstvorschrift] MDv 161/1 (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung 1977), a longer variant (proportion about 1:120) of the masthead pennant is used as Heimatwimpel (homeward bound pennant) when the ship has been outside home waters for a full year (or at least six months) or if it has circumnavigated the world.
Marcus Schmöger, 21 November 2001