France: Naval flags

Last modified: 2003-01-18 by ivan sache
Keywords: france | naval ensign | naval jack | masthead pennant |
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• Naval ensign and jack
• Masthead pennant

See also:

• France: Index of all related pages
• France: Honour jacks
• France: Naval rank flags - General officers
• France: Naval rank flags - Field officers

Naval ensign and jack

by Zeljko Heimer

The proportions of vertical stripes on the French flag when used at sea as the civil or naval ensign or jack are 30:33:37, to give a good visual effect when flying, and therefore called optical proportions.

Zeljko Heimer, 23 September 1995

The Tricolore ensign was adopted by decree dated 27 pluviose an II (15 February 1794) and by decree dated 7 March 1848. The proportions 30:33:37 were decided by regulation dated 17 May 1853.

Armand Noël du Payrat, 29 August 1997

The regulation of 1853 gives the precise measurements, in metres and centimetres, of the standard legal ensigns, numbered from 1 to 16. #1 is 9 m x 13.5 m and #16 is 50 cm x 75 cm.

Pierre Gay, 24 September 1998

Masthead pennant

by Zeljko Heimer

Triangular tricolour pennant, proportion 1:20~ or 1:(4+4+12)~)

Source: Album des Pavillons [pay00]

Flaggenbuch [neu92] gives the following table for the size (in cm) of the pennant:

Length	100	150	200	300	500	700	1000	1200	1600	2000
Width	5	5	8	8	10	10	12	12	15	15

Ivan Sache, 30 September 2001