Hi...New to the site and I have a question regarding national ensigns carried by German u-boats during the Second World War. In particular, a 2.5 X 3 meter ensign. Would the tower ensign be the same size as the one used at the fantail? Thank you! Pete
Thank you. HerrKaleun is a good friend and actually directed me to this site. I am trying to find out how a flag of that dimension fit into a uboat inventory. Tower flags were smaller...the flag I am researching is marked to a u-boat. Thanks, again. Pete
Hey Pete.....Glad you found your way here. I am looking around for your info, but still to no avail. Maybe Carl can be of help.... Hope you enjoy the forums as much as I do!
Thank you for the thumbs up Ivan and thanks for getting a friend to join here. I can't be positive but--i'd think that the larger flag would be used on the tail of the uboat. I was looking at a nice Kriegsmarine marked flag on a site just yesterday which was marked to a ship but not much else in the way of info was given. Anyway--this flag I think was 10? or more feet long-((I'm thinking even maybe 14 feet long-just not sure))-I don't know how wide but--in the description of this flag--it was mentioned that this flag would have been flown from the tail of the ship. A flag of this size though--would be one for the surface fleet on a larger ship--like a Light Cruiser or possibly larger than that. Sorry I don't have any concrete info to give to you and i'll see if I can remember which site I saw this flag for sale on and will copy the info down. One thing I do remember was that this was on a website I rarely visit and the flag was listed at $350.00.
Carl....Pete and I have been tossing emails back and forth today as well as scans. I found a photo of U 203 returning to port and by comparing the height of the naval ensign to a crewman standing on the wintergarten next to the tower flagstaff we have come to the conclusion that the flag depicted is of 1.5 meter height. (I think Pete may have mistyped in his first post. 2.5 meter instead of 1.5 meter.) Pete and I are sure that several different sizes of naval ensigns were inventoried to a u-boat. Pete is trying to figure if certain sizes where only for "parade use" such as returning from patrol, commissioning, etc.
Thank you for your kind response. Ivan and I have been working on the question and through a process of examining and comparing we did come to the conclusion that it is probable that a uboat would have ensigns of several sizes on board. The Tower Flags that most often are in photograps are smaller and would lead many to conclude that this was the rule. However, in examining photos of other boats ie. Rolf Mutzelberg's U-203 as he returns to France from his 6th War Patrol it is obvious that this national ensign is larger by a fair amount. A seaman on the tower ladder gives a great comparison. Almost assuredly a 1.5 meter flag. I doubt that the quartermasters would have flags of more than a few regulation sizes. Also, on patrol or in port it would be much easier to stow a smaller ensign and maybe that is why we see some uboats returning to port with the larger ensign and the smaller one in general. As a former deep water sailor and river boat boat captain I think the ease of stowage would make the smaller one the more commonly use...and there would be a place for the larger. Anyway...thank you for your thoughts and let me know if the above sounds logical. (I salute Ivan for his friendly and serious help over the years.) Pete
Postscript...I see Ivan and I still march in step. I am always mis-typing (print is getting smaller the older I get) and the flag is 1.5 X 2.5. Thank you, Gentlemen
Hi Ivan--Pete--Sorry I didn't answer before--I was going to and had forgotten. Ivan--not a problem--I think your correct in the 1.5 meter flag being used--that sounds more correct. But you guys have it on me on which flags were used when on Uboats. Oh as a reminder--Ivan do you have your letters ready for me to pass on to the U 181 vets? Hi Pete--what you say does sound reasonable to me--i'd think the same having a smaller flag--which saves space and would undoubtedly be easier to stow away. But--this is just a land-lubbers opinion though. I don't think you and Ivan have the "corner" on mistakes--I have typos all the time and I have no age excuse to use.
Carl....Would you mind PM'ing me on which U 181 vets are still with us? More importantly, those that would most likely answer my inquiries. I do not wish to intrude on anyone that does not wish to receive a letter....Thanks!!
question from a novice....... would this same sized flag be present on the earlier S-booten, or something a bit larger ? ~E
Hi Ivan--your wish is my command Sire! Just sent you the PM. My way of thinking on the flags though--is that they would be standardized throuought the Kriegsmarine--i'd think they would be practicable and have just a few sizes--or maybe just two sizes. But--I think Ivan and Pete are better qualified to try answering that--than I am.
