This was the flag of the German Minister of Defense between 1933 and 1935. The Minister of Defense was a cabinet post. In 1933, Major-General Werner von Blomberg rose to national prominence when he was appointed Minister of Defense in Adolf Hitler's new government. As Minister of Defense, Blomberg worked feverishly to expand the size and power of the army. In 1935, the Ministry of Defense was renamed to Ministry of War; Blomberg became the first Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

In 1935, the Ministry of Defense was renamed the Ministry of War. Field Marshal General Werner von Blomberg became first Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He held this position until 1938, when Hitler removed him from office. A short lived command flag for the Minister of War and Commander in Chief of the German Wehrmacht was used between July and October 1935, then replaced by the second design shown here in November. This square flag (approximately 3x3 feet) was used until 1938, when the Ministry of War was abolished and replaced by the Wehrmacht High Command.

Distorted Replica Flag

Modern elongated replicas of this flag (usually approximately 3x5 feet) are quite common.

These two swallow-tailed flags were the pennants of the Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces between 1938 and 1945. The most normal use of a pennant like this one was probably as a car flag for the vehicle being used by the Commander-in-Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces.

This square standard (approximately 3x3 feet) was Hermann Göring's personal standard as the Reichsmarschall of the "Greater German Reich" and used between 1939 and 1941. It was replaced by the new "Pattern 2" standard in 1941. The rank of Marshal of Germany (Reichsmarschall) was the highest military rank obtainable in the Third Reich.

Distorted Replica Flag

Modern flag manufacturers are selling this elongated 3x5 foot version of the backside.

This square flag (approximately 3x3 feet) was Hermann Göring's personal Reichsmarschall's Standard of the "Greater German Reich" and used between 1941 and 1945. It replaced the previous "Pattern 1" standard. Hermann Göring was named Reichsmarschall, which made him senior to all other Army and Luftwaffe Field Marshals

Distorted Replica Flag

Modern flag manufacturers are selling this elongated 3x5 foot version of the backside.

This was the German War Ensign of the Third Reich and used by all military forces of Nazi Germany. It was flown daily at all military installations, preferably at the entrance, otherwise near the guard room or staff building.

This flag (with black, white and red background) was for a commanding general of a "Fliegerkorps," (Fighter Corps, or Fighter Wing) of the German Luftwaffe.

This was the Command Flag for the Chief of the Air Force General staff between 1937 and 1940. The original was actually a 3'x3' square, but the fantasy flag manufacturers have been busy reproducing this flag in elongated format.

Distorted Replica Flag

In 1935, Hitler officially created the "Luftwaffe" (German Air Force) with Hermann Göring as its Commander-in-Chief. Hermann Göring was also Minister for Air Travel. Thus the flag represented both positions. The reason was that Hitler was re-arming Germany and besides the need to manufacture and design war planes, pilots had to be trained. The Treaty of Versailles ending World War I had dismantled the German Air Force and Hitler to partially hide the development of the new Luftwaffe gave it's new commander the misleading title of "Minister for Air Travel."

At the end of the year 1935, a command flag was introduced, which consisted of two different sides. Amongst other things the right side (front) displayed a big golden Luftwaffe-eagle in the center of the flag, whereas the left side (reverse) showed a swastika. The right side also displayed the "Pour le merite," a medal which Göring was awarded during the First World War.

In April of 1938 Hermann Göring was promoted to "Generalfeldmarschall" (Field Marshal). In order to show this promotion on the flag two Luftwaffe-Marshal-batons were added on the right side of the flag. The left side remained unchanged.

In 1940, Göring was promoted to "Reichsmarschall" (Reich Marshal). For this purpose Göring had special standards created, which represented his position as Reich Marshal. Although officially not abolished, the command flag for the Commander-in-Chief was no longer used by Göring from 1940 on. Instead he used the Reich Marshal standard. (shown under "German Military High Command (Wehrmacht) Flags" above)

Distorted Replica Flag

The original (real) versions of these flags were square, but most modern replica flags being sold are being produced in the modern 3x5 foot size format.

This questionable replica flag claims to be a based on one of the Luftwaffe parade standards that Goering used. This is supposed to be the back side of the standard and used by either a southern or Italian theatre command. Another possible source is the parade dress uniform buckles of the Herman Goering Panzer unit. Modern replica flag manufacturers have released it and mistakenly calling it the "German Blue Ruck" and even as a "Slavic Officers Flag" in the modern 3x5' format. No real proof can be found that it ever really existed.

Here is the complete series of rank flags used by the German Air Force. All these flags were introduced in 1941 and used until 1945. The flag for a Field Marshal was called a "flag," whereas the remaining flags were called "Hoheitszeichen" (insignia). If a Command flag was flown, then the Rank flag had to be also used at the same time. All rank flags were only allowed as vehicle flags. The ground of the flags were light blue, the borders and eagles were gold, except for the "lesser ranked officers" flag (not field marshall or general) where silver was used instead of gold.

Air Force General's Car Insignia		Air Force Officer's Car Insignia

Air Force Commanding General's Car Insignia

In 1942, as ground combat divisions were form from surplus Luftwaffe personnel, new vehicle commander's flags and pennants were introduced. They were similar to the Army pattern, but with the stripe color scheme reversed: a black field with a single broad horizontal Waffenfarbe (branch color) stripe. Centered on the pennant was a silver Luftwaffe eagle. This helped to distinguish these Luftwaffe Field Divisions from Army divisions. Regiment command flags were rectangular, and battalions used pennant-shaped command flags.

Presumed Luftwaffe Artillery Regiment Command Flag		Presumed Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Battalion Command Flag

Command flags which were flown by the leader of a military unit were mainly used by commanders of units as car and/or vehicle flags. They never replaced unit colours and represented only the commanding officer as his personal vehicle flag.

Flak was an abbreviation for Fliegerabwehrkanonen (anti-aircraft guns). At the beginning of World War II the Luftwaffe had nearly a million men trained for anti-aircraft batteries for static home defense. As the war progressed able-bodied men were moved to mobile field Flak units and their positions on the home defence batteries were replaced by crews consisting of older men, school age boys, women auxiliaries, Italian and Hungarian volunteers, and even some Russian prisoners of war.

A flag used at pre-war Zeppelin bases and installations, and because the Zeppelin itself was already obsolete, the Zeppelin Corps became one of the shortest-lived German service branches of World War II. After the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the Luftwaffe ordered the last two Zeppelin airships moved to a large Zeppelin hangar in Frankfurt. In March of 1940 Göring ordered their destruction and the aluminum fed into the Nazi war industry. In May a fire broke out in the Zeppelin facility which destroyed most of the remaining parts. The rest of the parts and materials were soon scrapped with almost no trace of the German "Giants of the Air" remaining by the end of the year.

This was the German War Ensign of the Third Reich and used by the all military forces of Nazi Germany. It was flown daily at all military installations, preferably at the entrance, otherwise near the guard room or staff building. It was introduced on November 7, 1935, the day the national military draft was begun in Germany.

This Heer (Army) Infantry flag (the original was square) has at its center a white disk surrounded by a silver wreath and containing a brown "Army type" (with wings directed downward) eagle grasping a black swastika similar to the eagle that frequently appeared on Army steel helmets.

The German Army standards were also sometimes swallow-tailed (split-tailed) with fringes, and their background color was used to indicate their branch of service. For example, white was used for infantry (as shown), pink for armor, black for engineers, and red for Artillery units.

Distorted Replica Flag

( Click here to learn more about German Army Flags and Standards )

This square flag Command Flag was used by the Commander-in-Chief (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres) of the German Army between 1935 and 1941.

This square command flag, introduced in September of 1944, was used by the Army Chief of the General Staff Heinz Guderian until his dismissal in 1945.

Distorted Replica Flag

Since Heinz Guderian was the only holder of this appointment, this flag has been closely associated with him. He was dismissed 38 days before the end of the war in Europe, when he was sent home on leave by Hitler.

These flag/drapes were supposedly placed on vehicles so that German planes could tell where the German frontline was, but according to some German flag experts the second design, commonly (and incorrectly) called the "Balkan Cross" (from "Balkenkreutz"), is merely a postwar invention that was never actually used by the German Armed Forces during the war. Others claim that it was used for a very short time by German "SS-Totenkopf" units on the Eastern Front, but soon abolished because it was too noticeable by the enemy. The Germans did, early in the war, use signal drapes to identify German armor for the Luftwaffe, but the only officially documented ones were simply the national flag with the swastika emblem. These drapes could be identified because they lacked loops for hoisting and had loops on all four corners making them suitable for fixing on tanks and even on the front deck of warships.

This square vehicle insignia for an Army Generalfeldmarschall's car (Hoheitszeichen eines Generalsfeldmarschalls des Heeres) was used as a car flag by German Heer (German Army) Field Marshals.

Distorted Replica Flag

Although Command flags were used occasionally by German military units during formations and ceremonies, they were mainly flown by the leader of a military unit as car and/or vehicle flag. They never replaced unit colours.

Infantry Regiment Commander		Artillery Regiment Commander		Armor Regiment Commander		Calvary Regiment Commander

Command flags and pennants of German Army formations had background colors of their branch, or Waffenfarbe, usually with a black stripe in the middle.

Engineering Battalion Commander		Artillery Battalion Commander		Armor Battalion Commander		Calvary Battalion Commander

The list of World War II Waffenfarben in the Army (Heer) was: General Staff, Carmine Red; Armor, Pink; Armored Reconnaissance, Golden Yellow; Artillery, Red; Antiaircraft Artillery, Coral Red; Pioneers (engineers), Black; Signals, Lemon Yellow; Light Infantry (Jäger and Panzergrenadiere), Grass Green; Technical Troops (engineers and logistics), Blue; Army Aviation, Light Gray; Chemical Defense, Crimson; Military Police, Orange; Bands, White; Medical, Dark Blue.

This is the Flag for the Austrian "Hoch-und Deutschmeister' Grenadier-Regiment 134 which was first formed in 1938 Austria right after the successful occupation by Germany. This unit would take part in the Polish campaign of 1939, fight on the Western Front during 1040, and then be transferred to the Eastern Front in the spring of 1941. In May of 1942, it fought throughout the Caucasus, and then became involved in the disastrous fighting around Stalingrad in 1943, where it was almost completely destroyed. The survivors surrendered to the Russians.

After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles had established a demilitarized zone in Germany that followed the Rhine River. No German military forces were permitted to enter this zone. This restriction did not apply to Police Units. When Hitler began rebuilding the German army, certain troops were called "Land Police" to get around this restriction, and stationed in the demilitarized zone. In March of 1936, the military forces of Germany reoccupied the demilitarized zone and the Landespolizei were converted into infantry battalions, but were allowed to keep their Land Police Colors.

These colors have had an interesting journey. After the war the British army found a them in the northern part of Germany and mistakenly identified them as the colors of the Deutsch-Arabischen Legion (German-Arabic legion). Because of this, in 1965, they were sent to Egypt and presented to the museum in El Alamein where they remain on display to this very day. More recent research has identified them as the colors of the "Jägerbataillon Finnland," or the German III Battalion, Infantry Regiment 92.

It is true Panzer units all used the color pink as their color designation, But the rational for this replica army flag was that this division was named after the Reichmarshall Hermann Göring, and apparently one of the duties of this Division HG ("HG" for Hermann Göring) was to protect Luftwaffe ground installations and air fields from ground assault.

This was the flag used by all Imperial German warships between 1903 and 1919 and later briefly reintroduced between 1933 and 1935. It was replaced by the swastika type in 1935 (see below).

This was the German War Ensign of the Third Reich and used by the all military forces of Nazi Germany. War Vessels of the German Kriegsmarine (German Navy) flew the National War Flag.

This was the flag flown at sea by all Third Reich mercantile ships and non-warships after 1935.

This was the flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, if not a Grand Admiral. This was sometimes referred to as the first pattern Command flag.

Erich Raeder was commander-in-Chief of the German Navy from 1928 to January 1943. He was promoted in 1936 to Grossadmiral. Karl Dönitz took Erich Raeder's place as Commander-in-Chief and as Grossadmiral in 1943.

Distorted Replica Flag

This is the flag (approximately 3x3 feet) of the Grand Admiral of the German Navy. This was sometimes referred to as the second pattern Command flag.

Erich Raeder was promoted to the rank of Grossadmiral in April of 1939. His served in this position until January of 1943 when he resigned his commission on grounds of ill health. His position was taken over by Karl Dönitz who held the position until the end of the war in Europe.

Distorted Replica Flag

This flag (approximately 3x3 feet) was used for the Inspector Admiral of the Navy of the Greater German Reich.

Admiral Erich Raeder was Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy from 1935 until 1943, and then appointed Inspector Grand Admiral of the German Navy in 1943, a rank he held until 1945.

Distorted Replica Flag

Not all units of the German navy did their service on ships and boats. During World War II, the Kriegsmarine maintained a large number of land based formations of which many were required to wear standard combat helmets and uniforms as part of issued equipment.