Reichskriegsflagge
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Die Reichskriegsflagge (Reich War Flag) was the official name of the war flag used by the Wehrmacht from 1871 to 1945 and Kriegsmarine from 1892 to 1945. A total of six different designs were used during this period.
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[edit] Imperial Germany
[edit] Use by Nazi Germany
The version used by Nazi Germany was designed personally by Adolf Hitler, and was introduced on the day that he announced universal conscription (November 7, 1935).
This flag served the Heer and the Luftwaffe as their War Flag, and the Kriegsmarine as its War Ensign (the National Flag servicing as its Jack). This flag was hoisted daily in barracks operated by units of the Wehrmacht, and it had to be flown from a pole positioned near the barracks entrance, or failing this, near the guard room or staff building. New recruits in the latter part of World War 2 were sworn in on this flag (one recruit holding the flag and taking the oath on behalf of the entire recruit class with the recruits looking on as witnesses - before, this was done on the regimental colors).
The flag had to be formally hoisted every morning and lowered every evening. These hoisting and lowering ceremonies took the form of either an ordinary or a ceremonial flag parade. At the ordinary raising, the party consisted of the Orderly Officer of the Day, the guard, and one musician. At the ceremonial raising, one officer, one platoon of soldiers with rifles, the guard, the regimental band, and the corps of drums were all present.
The proportions of the flag are 3:5. Fusing elements of the Nazi German Flag (swastika and red background) with that of the old Imperial Reich War Flag (four arms emanating from off-center circle and Iron Cross in the canton), these flags were uniformly produced as a printed design on bunting.
Raised for the first time at the Bendlerstraβe Building (Wehrmacht Headquarters) in Berlin on November 7, 1935, It was taken down for the last time by British occupation forces after the arrest of the Dönitz Government at Flensburg's Mürwik Naval School, Germany, on May 23, 1945.
[edit] See also
[edit] Reference
Davis, B., and McGregor, M. (2000). Flags of the Third Reich. Missouri - Osprey Publishing Company. ISBN 1-84176-171-0
