Nazi Ship Deck Banners / Flags

Deck banners and flags for KM ships.  Example of decal applied to H-Class GHQ model.

Historical Information

Kriegsmarine ships sometimes carried large national air-recognition emblems on the forecastle and quarterdeck so friendly aircraft could identify them from above. These markings were not permanent or universal and could be painted out before operations beyond reliable German air cover.

A well-known example is Bismarck, which carried large red, white, and black deck recognition emblems during Baltic work-up in 1941. They were later painted over before the ship’s Atlantic sortie, illustrating how German deck-recognition markings could change according to operational conditions.