Last modified: 2003-07-05 by dov gutterman
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![[Independent State of Croatia]](../images/h/hr-ndh.gif)
State Flag
by Janko Ehrlich - Zdvorak, 31 August 2001
Civil Flag
by Janko Ehrlich - Zdvorak, 31 August 2001
See also:
After the breakdown of Yugoslavia in 1941 a quisling regime
proclaimed the Independent State of Croatia. The flag was again
red white blue with a symbol of the leading pro nazi party Ustasa,
a chequered red and white with letter U above in a wattle.
Zeljko Heimer, 14 October 1995
I read that back than Croatia technically was a kingdom under
the absentee King Tomislav II, the Italian Duke of Spoleto. Did
he have a royal flag?
Mark Sensen, 30 September 1999
Not that I'm avare of. He was never crowned, and technically
he was not the king, but prince . He might have used some flag of
his own in Italy (though it seems that he was quite reluctant to
take the claim), but there was none "waiting" for him
in Croatia.
Zeljko Heimer, 4 October 1999
I just took a quick glance on the ever improving pages at www.flags.net. I noticed the
added WWII section. I was wandering about the sources of the
Croatian WWII flags. The national flag is of no question, of
course (though the offiicial ratio were both 2:3 or 2:5).
Regarding the naval flag and the naval jack - there are some
doubts. From the official sources (official gazettes and similar)
the only naval flag ever adopted is from 1941, equal to the
design as shown as naval jack (though with inverted red and white
squares, I believe, but I'll check once more against the exact
wording from gazettes). The other flags that are sometimes seen
(as in Znamierowski '99 book) are not documented in Croatian
sources, as far as I am aware. Though, I have a set of notes
(copies, of course) from Neubecker collection, courtesy Emil
Dreyer, that show a set of some dozen flags for naval use
(admirals, pennants etc) dated 1944 and supposedly prepaired for
update of the great Flaggenbuch, I was unable to confirm those
designs in Croatia. They are shown on my pages and reported to
FOTW (and published in Banderas by Dr. Dreyer in early 1990's).
These 1944 set have the tricolour with the complete CoA, similar
to the design shown as naval ensign, but there the CoA is offset
to hoist, and it also include the naval jack of the chequy
design.
On the other hand, there are some other flags, well documented
that may be of interest, and these include the leader's
(Poglavnik) standard, the air force flag (ensign) and one or two
more.
Zeljko Heimer, 22 December 2000
On May 18, 1941 governments of Independent State of Croatia
and Kingdom of Italy concluded an agreement called Contracts of
Rome. Besides other regulations, this Croatian state had to
become Kingdom of Croatia with an Italian duke (Duke of Spoleto)
as Croatian king Tomislav II. At that time, ISC was shortly
called "Kingdom of Croatia", however, this idea was
firstly postponed, then abandoned. So, symbols of such planed
kingdom probably never existed in any serious ideas.
Law Decree on State Coat-of-Arms, State Flag and Other State
Symbols on April 18, 1941:
The coat-of-arms of the Independent State of Croatia is a shield
with 25 square fields; white (silver) and red (colour
of blood), assembled alternate in five rows with the first field
white (silver). Over the coat-of-arms is a sign in form of
star-like triple wattle curl of the same red colour which
encircle white field in which is large letter U of dark blue
colour.
The flag of the Independent State of Croatia is a flag with three
horizontal placed fields: highest is red (colour of blood), under
it white and under it blue. Height of this flag according to its
width is in ratio 2:3 or 2:5. In the middle of white field is
state coat-of-arms of the Independent State of Croatia without
triple wattle curl. It is placed so that the distance from red
and white field is equally long as it is long an edge of one
square in coat-of-arms. On red field near hoist a curl is placed,
equal to one at coat-of-arms. It is made red, so that it's field
was left white. In its white field is large dark blue letter U.
This state flag is using everywhere except at the Naval forces.
Everywhere in the state except on state or local administration
buildings remains until further regulation in usage up to now
used Croatian civil flag: red, white and blue horizontally
placed.
Janko Ehrlich - Zdvorak, 31 August 2001
As far I know duke of Spoletto was king but never was in
Croatia. I suspect that no royal standart existed.
Jaume Ollé, 31 August 2001
During WW2 Muslims were considered Croats "of diferent
faith" and were incorporated into Ustasha's Independent
State of Croatia. There was no flags indicating that as far as I
am aware (though, for example medals and orders were made in
separate versions for Muslims where there were crosses for
Christians).
Zeljko Heimer, 7 August 2002
by Janko Ehrlich - Zdvorak, 31 August 2001
ndh.gif)
by Janko Ehrlich - Zdvorak, 31 August 2001
ndhv.gif)
by Janko Ehrlich - Zdvorak, 31 August 2001
There were basically two types of shields which were used by
this puppet state, created by will of German and Italian
occupying forces on April 10, 1945. One was of the same style as
it was all other coat-of-arms in Croatian history from 1867 - so
it was a round one, and another was with pointed lower part. Both
were equally represented. Also the curl had more versions.
Janko Ehrlich - Zdvorak, 31 August 2001
by Zeljko Heimer, 27 December 1999
While we were discussing here the flags and ensigns of the
Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945), a question was arosed
about the exsistance of the Air Force ensign. It is not shown in
the famous Neubecker book [1] (see bibliography below), and in
other sources that mention it (notably Emil Dreyer [2]) either
refer directly or indirectly to David Littlejohn [3] (which I
have not seen) or to Dreyer's article. I have done the same on my
flag pages [4], and when I was pointed out that there is a
question about the existance of this flag, I left the issue open
not being able to provide some stronger evidence either pro or
contra.
I may be able now to show that there was indeed such a flag
prescribed by official legislation. I was generously given copies
of the contemporary gazettes that mention it by a visitor of my
pages, Mr. Krunoslav Mikulan from Cakovec, Croatia.
As it is known, the law [5] that introduced the national flag of
the Independent State of Croatia, as well as Poglavnik's standard and naval
ensign in April 1941 did not mention the Air Force at all.
However, already in May 1941 it was issued as separate law [6]
that defined the Air Force ensign and airplane markings. It was
probably issued in the official gazette, but the source that I
have is the Gezette of the Armed Forces, which reprinted the law
in full, and I guess have the same legal power. Unfortunaely, it
does not mention the official gazette of the "original"
issue (lake the next one does, as it shall be seen), but that can
easily be determined.
The law consists of five simple articles, which are best given in
full (my translation, AF = Air Force):
Art. 1.
The flag of the Independent State of Croatia Air Force is of 25
rectangular fields, white and red (blood colour), ordered
interchangably in 5 rows, so that in the first upper row the
starting field is white. The rectangles are in ratio of height to
width = 2:3. The flag is bordered with blue border of 1/6 width
of the height of one field. In the first 2 fields of the first
(upper) row is set an eagle in black-silver colour. That flag is
hoisted on the AF Commands and on all air fields from sunrise to
sundown.
Art. 2.
The nationality marking is a shild of 25 rectangular fields,
white and red (blood colour) ordered interchangably in 5 rows, so
that the first field is white. This marking is carried on all
airplanes, so:
a) on right upper wing marking in ratio with wing depth = 1:5;
b) on lower side of wing on right and left in ratio to wing depth
= 1:2;
c) on vertical plane on right and left side in ratio to the
vertical plane height = 1:2.
Art. 3.
The images of the AF Flag and nationality markings are integral
part of this decision.
Art. 4.
The implementation of this decision is given to the AF Commander.
Art. 5
This decision is effective on the day of issue in the official
gazette.
In Zagreb, 20th May 1941.
[signed]
Vojskovodja [=Marchal] Slavko Kvaternik, m.p.
Poglavnik [="Leader"] Dr. Ante Pavelic/, m.p.
So, the date of adoption of the AF ensign (side note: the word
for flag and ensign in Croatian is the same generic word for
flag, and I used "flag" in the translation for
precision, but here "ensign" may be of better use) is
20-MAY-1941. The day of the effectivnes of the decision is not
known (as I do not know the date of issue in the official
gazette), but I believe that it is between 20 and 24 MAY 1941,
since I guess that the law was first issued the the official
gazette and then only in the military gazette.
From the same source there is in 1943 given the text of another
decision [7] that includes the AF ensign into the
"general" flag law
of 1941. There is no need of full translation (since in many
cases it is fragmentary, giving instructions to include the AF
ensign among other symbols defined with that law). Unfortunately,
I have only fragment of that law - the first page with four
articles, but that seems to include all of the importance.
The article 2 give description of the AF ensign the same as in
1941 law, but with slightly more detailed description of the
eagle:
[On first two fields there is] in silver colour embroderied, and
in black outlined and hatched symbol of a flying eangle. The size
of the symbol is: length 15/10 of a rectangle width, and height
is 5/10 of the rectangle height....That flag is used on all air
fields, offices and barracs of the military air force.
Article 3 define nationality markings (only described, without
the size and position prescription as in 1941 law), but it also
introduce the marking for non-military (civilian) aircrafts. That
marking is
entierly the same as the AF ensign, but without the eagle.
However, on should not that it is not mentioned that it is to be
used as flag, so it is not civil aviation flag, only marking on
aircrafts.
As I said, the end of the law is missing, so I do not know the
details of the effectivnes date and similar, but that is of minor
importace, as it is mainly only "confirmation" of the
existing laws.
References:
1. Otfried Neubecker: Flaggenbuch 1939 [neu39] with later additions
2. Emil Dreyer: Croacia, in BANDERAS nr. 19, June 1986. [ban]
3. David Littlejohn: Foreign Legions of the Third Reich,
Vol. 3, R James Bender Publishing, San Jose, California, 1985.
4. Zeljko Heimer: The Flags and Arms of the Modern Era, http://jagor.srce.hr/~zheimer/flags/home.htm,
1996-1999, consulted 20-DEC-1999.
5. Zakonska odredba o drzavnom grbu, drzavnoj zastavi,
Poglavnikovoj zastavi, drzavnom pecatu i pecatima drzavnih i
samoupravnih ureda, 28. travnja 1941, Narodne Novine 15/CV,
Zagreb, 30. travnja 1941. (Legal decision on the state coat of
arms, the state flag, the Poglavnik's flag, the state seal and
the seals of the state and selfgoverning offices, 28-APR-1941,
Official Gazette, 30-APR-1941)
6. Zakonska odredba o zastavi zracnih snaga Nezavisne Drzave
Hrvatske i o oznaci drzavnosti na aeroplanima zracnih snaga
Nezavisne Drzave Hravtske, 20. svibnja 1941, Vjesnik vojnih
naredaba i zapovjedi za cjelokupnu oruzanu snagu Nezavisne Drzave
Hrvatske, br. 9, 24. svibnja 1941.(Legal decision on the flag of
the Independent State of Croatia Air Force, and on the
nationality markings on the aircrafts of the Independent State of
Croatia Air Force, 20-MAY-1941, Gazette of the military orders
and commands for the entire armed forces of the Independent State
of Croatia, nr. 9, 24-MAY-1941)
7. Zakonska odredba o dopuni zakonske odredbe o drzavnom grbu,
drzavnoj zastavi, Poglavnikovoj zastavi, drzavnom pecatu i
pecatima drzavnih i samoupravnih ureda od 28. travnja 1941. broj
XXXVII-53- Z.p.-1941, Vjestnik Ministarstva oruzanih snaga, br.
48/III, Zagreb, 27. studena 1943, pretiskano iz Narodnih novina
br. 269 od 24. XI. 1943. (Legal decision on additions to the
legal decision [nr. 5 above], Gazette of the Ministry of Armed
Forces, reprint from the Official gazette nr. 269, 24-NOV-1943)
Zeljko Heimer, 27 December 1999
1941-1944
by Ferenc Gy. Valoczy, 2 July 2003
1944-1945
by Ferenc Gy. Valoczy, 2 July 2003
The Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945) Airforce used 1:1
5X5 chequred fin flash. This was use also as a roundel between
1941-1944. It looks like the Air-Force Flag ,
but remove the emblem and the blue border and make it 1:1.....
Dov Gutterman, 8 Febuary 2000
I'm not sure about that. IIRC, the air markings are defined in
the same legal acts defining the air force flag that I posted
recently. I haven't given it much consideration then, but IIRC,
the making was 2:3, just the same as the naval ensign. However,
I'll have to check that. It is another question how much these
legal acts were followed and what was sued in practice. There are
several good books on Croatian WWII air force (both civil and
military, however small they were), If I am not wrong, some
sources give air markings to be a form of a chequy shield (and
not square/rectangel).
Zeljko Heimer, 16 Febuary 2000
by Zeljko Heimer