USSR - Soviet Navy Command Flag of a Group Commander.
This wool Soviet Command Flag for a Commander of a group of warships was made in 1984, and was the lowest flag command echelon of the naval forces of the former Soviet Union. Introduced in 1950 and used until 1992, all Soviet command flags afloat followed the same general pattern of a colored background with the Soviet Naval Ensign in the canton. The field was superimposed with between one and three white five point stars, one point up. Unlike most Western navies, the number of stars did not indicate the rank of the commander, but rather the size of the force he commanded.
This example is part of the panoply of flags used by the Soviet Navy. Most were based on the naval ensign, which this flag uses as a canton. The Soviet Navy, like the US Navy of 1775 to 1862, initially abolished all grades of Admiral. In a classless society, such high rank was originally deemed inappropriate. Eventually, the command structure based upon that of the Bolshevik Revolution (1917-1935) of having only "Junior Commanders" and "Senior Commanders" proved insufficient for handling large maritime formations. Thus, a more practical system, utilizing a more traditional naval command structure was reestablished.
This system of flags was abolished after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992.
Provenance: Acquired by purchase at an Internet Auction.
ZFC Noteworthy Flag
Sources:
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS, NAVAL ENSIGNS & FLAGS, 1935-92, Archive of the Colors, 30 April 2012, from: http://tmg110.tripod.com/soviet1.htm
Флаг командира ÑÐ¾ÐµÐ´Ð¸Ð½ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ ÐºÐ¾Ñ€Ð°Ð±Ð»Ðµ, "Flags of the Russian Navy", 30 April 2012, from: http://www.navy.ru/symbols/anflag.htm
Russian Navy: rank flags, Flags of the World, 30 April 2012, from: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ru~r.html
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
