Kriegsmarine ‘Commander in Chief’ Commander of the Navy Car Pennant
Price: $950
BUY / RESERVE THIS ITEMDescription: Rare, approximately 30cm X 30cm, dual sided, rough-white linen construction Commander-in-Chief of the Navy rank and command flag Car Pennant with a multi-colored, printed image. The Pennant features a black and white bordered black Iron Cross superimposed over diagonally angled, upward pointing, golden yellow, crossed swords with brown accents and detailing. All four arms of the Iron Cross extend to the edges of the flag. The swords each feature a brown, fouled anchor on the cross guards. Both sides of the flag have the same image. Nice slightly worn and used example clearly removed from its car fender carrier. Scarce rank/command flag for the highest rank in the Kriegsmarine.
Background:Following an age-old military tradition the German armed forces of the Third Reich utilized a wide variety of identifying flags and pennants to distinguish Officers and Headquarters and included specific command flags and pennants. The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Command flag, (Flagge des Oberbefehlshabers der Marine) was introduced November 1935 and followed the basic design of the Imperial Navy’s Admiral’s rank and command flag, (Circa mid to late 1800’s), but with the addition of crossed swords. The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy rank and command flag was produced in a variety of regulation dimensions depending on where it was to be flown. Of Note: Only two individuals held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy during the Third Reich with Erich Raeder achieving the position April 1939, which he held until his resignation in January 1943 being replaced by Karl Dönitz until the war’s end.
