Naval flags have been used by boats to signal one another since the time boats and ships made voyages to the sea. Naval flags meaning and existence can be traced way back in time. There are numerous historical naval flags, and we will learn more about them in this article.
Meaning of Naval Flags
Naval flags are also known as nautical flags. These flags are used as a form of communication by boats in the sea or ocean. It is mostly used in the circumstances connected to the safety of individuals and for navigation purposes. It is an international system of code used by one boat to signal to another or the shore.
List of Naval Flags
Here is the list of countries that currently use naval flags:
- Australia
- Bangladesh
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Hungary
- India
- Ireland
- Japan
- Latvia
- Norway
- Poland
- Russia
- Thailand
- United Kingdom
- The United States
Some countries used naval flags previously. They are
- USSR
- Yugoslavia
Naval Ensign
A naval ensign is a flag or an ensign that is used by navy ships of different countries to indicate their nationality. Sometimes it can be the same as a country’s state ensign. A naval ensign is quite different from a naval jack, which is flown from a jackstaff that is present at the bow of a vessel.
There are situations where a naval ensign can also be considered a war ensign. A Battle Ensign is an extensive version of a naval ensign that is on a warship right before it goes into battle.
Numerous countries have only one national flag and ensign for all pursuits. In other countries, a difference is made between the land flag and the civil, state, and naval ensigns.
For example, the ensign for Great Britain differs from the flag that is used on the land (also called the Union Flag) and has different interpretations of plain and impaired Blue and Red ensigns for civilian and state usage, as well as the naval ensign (which is the White Ensign).
Sometimes naval ensigns could be different in shape from the national flag, such as the Nordic naval ensigns, which have ‘tongues’ on them.
List of Naval Ensigns
Here is a record of countries that have a Naval ensign flag that is different from their national flag and civil ensign:
- Abkhazia
- Albania (Navy)
- Albania (Coast Guard)
- Algeria
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- The Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Bangladesh (Coast Guard)
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Bolivia
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- China
- Columbia
- Croatia
- Croatia (Coast Guard)
- Denmark
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Germany
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- India (Auxillary ships)
- India (Coast Guard)
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Latvia
- Libya
- Lithuania
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- DPR Korea
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Poland
- Russia
- Russia (Auxillary ships)
- Russia (Coast Guard)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka (Coast Guard)
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Thailand
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Ukraine ( Auxiliary ships)
- Ukraine (Sea Guard)
- United Kingdom
- United Kindom ( Auxiliary ships)
- United Kindom (Coast Guard)
- United States (Coast Guard)
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Historical Naval Flags
Empires, states, and countries have used historical Naval Flags since ancient times. Flags were a symbol of identification and communication.
Similarly, naval flags meaning has been used by ships and boats as a form of identification and to intercommunicate with other ships or boats or the shore ever since the rise of civilizations. Historical naval flags are those naval flags that were used in the past and no longer in the present.
List of Historical Naval Flags
Here is the list of historical naval flags in tabular format:
Name | Years Used |
Naval Jack of the Confederate States Navy | 1861- 1863 |
Naval Ensign of the Confederate States Navy | 1861- 1863 |
Naval Jack of the Confederate States Navy | 1863- 1865 |
Naval Ensign of the Confederate States Navy | 1863- 1865 |
Naval Ensign of Imperial Germany | 1871- 1919 |
Naval Ensign of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine | 1935- 1945 |
Naval Ensign of the German Democratic Republic’s Volksmarine | 1960- 1990 |
Naval Ensign of the historic Blue Squadron of England’s Royal Navy | 1620- 1707 |
Naval Ensign of the historic Red Squadron of England’s Royal Navy | 1620- 1707 |
Naval Ensign of the historic White Squadron of England’s Royal Navy | 1620- 1707 |
Irish Green Ensign | C1700 – 1707 |
Naval Ensign of Scotland’s Royal Scots Navy | C1000- 1707 |
Naval Red Ensign of Great Britain | 1707- 1800 |
Naval White Ensign of Great Britain | 1707- 1800 |
Naval Blue Ensign of Great Britain | 1707- 1800 |
Merchant Navy Flag of Greece | 1822- 1828 |
Irish Green Ensign | 1801- C1921 |
Naval Ensign of the Soviet Navy | 1917- 1991 |
Naval Jack of the Soviet Navy | 1917- 1991 |
Naval Jack & Civil Ensign of the United States | C1776 |
French Algeria Naval Ensign | 1848- 1910 |
Conclusion
Naval Flags have been used by people ever since the existence of ships and boats going on voyages. It is a means of communication and identification. Naval Ensigns, on the other hand, represent the boat or ship’s nationality. There are naval flags that are no longer in use and are part of history. They are known as historical naval flags, and there are about 22 from around the world.