Last modified: 2019-05-18 by rob raeside
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Besides the normal flag all Dutch navy ships in active service also
fly a relatively small war standard: This standard is flown from a flagpole
at a high place in the centre area of the ship, 24 hours a day. It is replaced
when worn. Only when a ship is put out of use, this standard is officially
taken down.
Wim Zindler, 14 April 2003
The "Oorlogswimpel" is what is in English called masthead pennant
(or commissioning pennant or war pennant) and similarly the
practice is adopted in most navies around the world. I believe that
this is replaced by appropriate admiral's flag when he is commanding the
ship (or some other high officer pennant). Indeed, I failed to find the
pennant on FOTW, even if I am sure that it was posted to the list previously.
For difference from the Shipmate design, the Album
2000 (French Navy Flagbook) shows the pennant as triangular swallow-tailed
(i.e. diminishing in vertical size from hoist toward fly). The German Flaggenbuch
of 1939 also shows that triangular swallow-tailed pennant.
Željko Heimer, 14 April 2003
Masthead Pennant.
Long swallow-tailed pennant in the colours of the national tricolour,
the cut at the fly one third of the length of the pennant. Standard sizes:
1 m long - 5 cm wide; 2 m long - 5 cm wide; 6 m long - 8 cm wide. Also a
10m long 10 cm wide size existed, but I presume this was only used on the
aircraft carrier "Hr. Ms. Karel Doorman", which was sold to the Argentine
navy in 1968. Lastly adopted by Order in Council on 6 March 1986.
Mark Sensen, 19 April 2003
When did the design first come into use?
We don't seem to know. It's
depicted as having been in use for approximately as long as the tricolour
itself. Whether that's completely accurate, however, would have to be subject of
further research.
It also may not always have been a commissioning pennant.
In paintings that show Dutch ship wearing them, they're usually worn by only a
few ships.
Was it always swallowtailed?
Yes. Presumably, at some point the
wind must have blown a long pennant apart, after which pennants were
intentionally created that way, but all commissioning pennants are always
depicted forked. This suggests the model was copied from foreign pennants. This
is not true for other types of long pennants, that are usually single-tipped,
though some can be made forked as well.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg,
13 April 2019
A more correct title is "Vessel owned or in use by the navy, not
being a war vessel". Triangular blue flag (2:3) with a white hoist
one third of the flag length. On the white part in red a black foul anchor
under the royal crown. On the blue part white letters (one fifth of the
flag height) identifying the unit as stipulated by the Minister of Defence.
Adopted by Order in Council on 25 July 1934.
Mark Sensen, 19 April 2003
As an example for the letters on Civilian vessel chartered
by Navy VVKM9 gives "MTD" for "Marinetransportdienst" ("Navy
transport unit"). However, I can't find any reference to this unit on the
official website of the Royal Netherlands Navy, so I don't know if this
unit exists today.
Mark Sensen, 19 April 2003
Blue flag (2:3) with a white letter "L" ("Loods" is "Pilot").
Not in VVKM9, at least not the edition I have.
Mark Sensen, 19 April 2003
Netherlands Navy, at the foremast, pilot required (Merchantmen hoist
ordinary the Netherlands flag at the foremast.
Jaume Ollé, 5 May 2003