Flag decorations
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Flag decorations are hoisted on ships on festive occasions.
Flag decorations in seafaring
Ships can put on flag decorations on festive occasions, a distinction is made between small and large flag decorations. The small flag decoration consists of the rear flag and jack as well as the national flag in each mast top .
With the large flag decoration, also known as the flag gala, called in the sailor's language "over the top flags", a chain of signal flags is also stretched lengthways from the bow over the mast tops to the stern . The flags are attached to flag lines and mast stays. The order of the flags alternates between letter flags and number flags, flags B and T are omitted.
About the top flags
This is a form of ship jewelry, the so-called flag gala or the large flag jewelry, for happy occasions such as ship christening, commissioning, anniversaries, greetings after a special trip, regatta days, board party, etc. If you are with a yacht in a foreign port and discover that an official holiday is being celebrated, it is a nice gesture to join in the celebration and to flag over the top. Today, however, the entire flag alphabet is no longer available on all yachts because the signaling function has largely been replaced by VHF marine radio .
All flags of the signal flag station are arranged in such a way that they cannot be confused with a hot (binding signal). This is generally the case if one sets a traditional order. There are different traditions for this, depending on the nationality of the Navy:
Federal Navy
In the case of the German Navy, the large flag decoration is used to “express a solemn event on board ships / boats. The occasions and the type of flag decoration to be put on by ships / boats of the Bundeswehr, if necessary, in agreement with the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Minister of Defense. ”The duration of the flag decoration is regulated by order depending on the occasion. In the case of the German Navy, the order of the letters in the alphabet is followed by a number pennant in ascending order. The flags B and T are not used. Starting from the bow, the following sequence is prescribed to the top and from the top to the stern.
Section 1: A-1-C-2-D-3-E-4-F-5-G-6-H-7-I-8-J-9-K-0-L-1
Section 2 : M-2-N-3-0-4-P-5-Q-6-R-7-S-8-U-9-V-0-W-1-X-2-Y-3-Z -4-A-5
British Navy
According to British etiquette, flags are only used over the tops in the harbor and at anchorage. As soon as the vehicle is on the move, the flags are brought down.
For the British Navy and the British Yacht Clubs, the following series is traditionally recommended starting from the bow, which also looks particularly beautiful:
Section 1: EQ-3-G-8-Z-4-W-6-P-1-I- Answer pennant-TYBX-1.Hilfsstander-H-3.Hilfsstander
2nd section: DF-2.Hilfsstander-UAOMR-2-J-Null-N-9-K-7-V-5-LCS
The first section should be before the End the mast top with the 3rd auxiliary post and continue behind with the flag D.
The US Navy and the US yacht clubs have a different order from the bow: AB-2 - UJ-1 - KE-3 - GH-6 - IV-5 - FL-4 - DM-7 - PO-3 . Auxiliary stand - RN-1st auxiliary stand - ST-Null - CX-9 - WQ-8 - ZY-2nd auxiliary stand
Canadian Navy
The Canadian Defense Department uses the "Allied Maritime Signal and Maneuvering system" that includes also NATO signal flags and describes the Great bunting in the "Regulations on dressing our Canadian Ships" as follows:
A ection Main Mast / foremast Foreward:
EQ-1-G 3-Z-Negative-W-9-N7-N1-P-6-C-8-P-4-I-1-T-7-N6-Corpen-N8-Interrogative-Squadron-2-H-Answer Pennant- N5-Turn-X-Null-F-Church-Division-Form-O-5-R-9-Port-8-D-3-2. Answer pennant
section Fore-to-Mainmast in the horizontal (only for two-masters):
Station-Y-3.Ersatzwimpel-U-1.Ersatzwimpel-D-4.Ersatzwimpel-N3-Emergency-N1-3.Ersatzwimpel-L-Emergency-N7-2.Ersatzwimpel-Squadron-1.Ersatzwimpel-C-3 Replacement pennant-Port-Station-N8-Emergency-N5-3. Replacement pennant-K-Station-I-4. Replacement pennant-V-1. Replacement pennant-O-4. Replacement pennant-N3-Emergency
section Mainmast Aft:
Speed-I-2 -E-Interrogative-T-6-N1-Negative-P-5-N9-8-Alfa-6-N2-3-N3-7-E-Corpen-M-Turn-R-Form-J-Answer Pennant-N -Null-K-4-B-Interrogative-N0-Church-X-7-N4-2-LJ
This very a An elaborate regulation seems to regulate the decoration of even a very large ship in detail.
In any case, the hobby sailor will usually decorate the forestay first and then the backstay.
Non-British sailors who absolutely want to flag over the tops while driving, put the jewelry in the top over the shrouds, but have to accept very disparaging looks from the traditionalists.
In the case of a gaff rig that does not have a single backstay, the flags are brought to the end of the tree on a topsail halyard or a dirk; there are also one or two other flags on the boom and bowsprit. In addition to the flags from the International Signal Book , number pennants of the Navy can also be used, e.g. B. the number pennant of NATO.
The position should in no case be mixed with flags of other sizes, joke and fantasy flags as well as national flags. At the end of the event, the position should be caught up again; there is no permanent flagging, even on cruise ships.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ flaggenkunde.de: Glossary F, keyword “Flaggengala” , accessed on November 20, 2008.
- ↑ wesselhoeft.net: About the Toppen flags , accessed on November 20, 2008.
- ^ Reply to a request to the press office of the German Navy
- ^ Delmar-Morgan: Reed's Handbook of Maritime Flags. 2006.
- ↑ Reply to an inquiry to the Canadian Department of Defense with an extract from the Manual of Ceremonial - HMC Ships
- ↑ Friedrich Rust: On the use of flags on sports boats In: Der Flaggenkurier, issue 23/2006 ( ( page no longer available , search in web archives: flaggenkunde.de ) PDF; 263 kB)