FG-053 — Kriegsmarine Water Sports Flag
Flag ID: FG-053
Flag facts
- Maker (stamp): None observed
- Dimensions: 78 × 87 cm
- Materials: Red wool bunting; heavy cotton-canvas hoist; natural-fibre braided rope; darkened iron/steel ring(s)
- Construction: Printed/dyed emblem (black on white disc) on wool field; machine-sewn seams; hoist sleeve with internal rope
- Layout: White disc with black swastika over black anchor edged white; motif intentionally hoist-biased
- Markings (hoist): No maker/size stamps noted; “railroad” stitch; X-stitch reinforcement; metal ring at upper hoist; braided lanyard at lower hoist
- Legal stamp expansion (if relevant): None visible / not applicable
- Acceptance: Organisational identification for recognised water-sport institutions; permitted as the sole flag on eligible craft; restricted to German nationals in approved organisations
- Period: Pattern adopted 6 April 1936; this example likely late 1930s–early 1940s
- Condition: Service folds; light soiling on disc/anchor edges; oxidation to hardware; raw fly cut with short fraying
Context & Use
The water sports flag identified boats operated by officially recognised German water-sport organisations within the naval training ecosystem. Regulations allowed it to be flown as the only flag on eligible craft and limited use to German nationals who were members of approved institutions. The hoist-biased placement of disc and anchor is intentional, improving balance when the cloth sets and mirroring placement seen on the Kriegsmarine jack (Gösch).
For the precursor type (1935/36) on the imperial tricolour with a canted white anchor, see FlagGeek: Wassersportflagge (1935–1936) . The new pattern was adopted on 6 April 1936.
In practice the flag was encountered on training and club craft—sailing dinghies, small keelboats, motor launches and committee tenders—on lakes, rivers and protected coastal waters. It served as an organisational identifier at regattas and training exercises, not as a command or combat flag. Period guidance emphasises clear visibility: mounted on a short staff at the stern or near the cockpit when underway; ashore it could mark the boathouse or a mast during events.
Size pairing (documentary note): Period regulations define eligibility and the right to fly the flag but do not prescribe hull-length pairings. Mid-series Kriegsmarine cloth sizes such as 80 × 135 cm are well documented for the era and suited to mid-sized club/training craft where a taller staff gives clear visibility; smaller dinghies typically carried smaller flags, while larger yachts or launches stepped up for legibility.
Eligibility depended on membership in recognised institutions; use outside that framework was prohibited. Surviving examples show a consistent design vocabulary: printed emblem on wool bunting, intentionally hoist-biased motif for legibility under wind set, and sizing tied to established naval proportions. Maker or size stamps are sometimes absent on sport issues, which makes construction details—stitch types, hoist sleeve, hardware—especially important for attribution.
For collectors and researchers, the off-centre disc/anchor alignment is a reliable period cue. Later decorative reproductions often centre the disc for symmetry; period service pieces, like the present flag, place the motif forward to balance the cloth when flying.
Technical observations
Heavy cotton-canvas hoist with an internal rope; characteristic “railroad” seam along the sleeve and X-stitch reinforcement at stress points. Surviving braided natural-fibre lanyard at the lower hoist; darkened metal ring at the upper hoist. Red wool bunting shows a coarse, open weave typical of naval issue. Emblem is printed/dyed on a white disc; minor edge bleed and local abrasion present. The fly edge is raw, indicating a post-manufacture cut rather than a finished hem.
Sizing & cut-down analysis
Measured at 78 × 87 cm. Rectangular Kriegsmarine flags follow 3:5; the nearest standard at this height is 80 × 135 cm. Compared to the present 87 cm fly, approximately 48 cm were removed at the fly after manufacture. The ~2 cm shortfall in height versus 80 cm is consistent with trim, shrinkage, or measuring tolerance in wool bunting.
Spec line: Likely cut down from ~80 × 135 cm; approx. 48 cm removed at the fly; height now 78 cm.
Detail images
Sources & References
- Verordnung über die Flaggenführung der Wassersportfahrzeuge — 6 Apr 1936 (RGBl. I S. 362).
- Verordnung über die vorläufige Regelung der Flaggenführung der Wassersportfahrzeuge auf See — 31 May 1935.
- Flags of the World — Water sports flag (1936 pattern) — allowed as sole flag; membership/nationality restrictions; adopted 6 April 1936.
- FlagGeek — Wassersportflagge (Germany, 1935–1936).
- Period specimens with stamped size 80 × 135 cm (diagnostic for mid-series KM cloth sizes): KM Gösch 80×135, maker-stamped (Textildruck Arlt); KM Kriegsflagge 80×135, size-stamped.
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