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A French ensign is the flag flown at sea to identify a vessel as French. The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group One of France 's Secretaries of State under the Ancien régime was entrusted with control of the French Navy ( Secretary of State of the Navy (France The Préfet Maritime is a servant of the French State who exercises authority over the sea in one particular region (a Préfecture maritime) The Force d'action navale (FAN Naval Action Force is the 12000-man and about 100-ship strong backbone of the French Navy. The Force océanique stratégique (FOST Strategic Oceanic Force is the Ballistic missile submarine force of the French Navy. The Aviation navale ( Naval aviation) of the French Navy includes 162 airplanes (138 of them combat-capable and 6800 men both civilians and military personnel The Naval Commandos (Commandos marine are the Special forces of the French Navy. The Fusiliers Marins (Navy riflemen are units specialised in the protection and defence of key sites of the French Navy on land The Maritime Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Maritime is a component of French gendarmerie under operational control of the chief of staff of the French Navy. This is a (non exhaustive list of currently operating ships of the French Navy. Standing French Navy Deployments is a list of current deployments by the French Navy: Caribbean Fort-de-France, The rank Insignia of the French Navy ( French: Marine Nationale) are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets Although the History of the French Navy goes back to the Middle Ages when it was defeated by the English at the Battle of Sluys and with Castilian help managed The French Navy is undertaking a significant reinforcement both in modernising and in number under the Projet de loi de programmation militaire 2003-2008 ("Military programme This is a list of traditional French Navy ship names, along with notices for notable units This is a list of French Battleships of the period 1859-1970 Note that the dates given are the ships' launch date cruisers Armorique (1862 Circé (1860 Flore (1869 Cosmao class Cosmao (1861 Dupleix (1861 This is a list of French broadside battleships of the period 1640-1861 Sections stating the ruler in power are provided as chronological references This is a list of French sail frigates from the start of the 1740s Chinese Fleets Beiyang Fleet Nanyang Fleet East Sea Fleet North Sea Fleet South The Croix de Guerre (sometimes lowercase in French Croix de guerre, meaning "Cross of War" is a military decoration of both France and The Médaille militaire (Military Medal is a decoration of the French Republic which was first instituted in 1852. Here stands a list of the ribbons of the French military and civil awards The French Order of Chivalry The principal French military awards This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Several such ensigns have existed over the years as well as terrestrial flags based on the ensign motif. An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office
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Current Ensign
The current French ensign is not, as the casual observer would think, identical to the French flag. The National flag of France (known in French as drapeau tricolore, drapeau français,and in military parlance les couleurs Though both are blue, white and red, the French civil ensign has those colours in the proportion blue 30, white 33, and red 37. The intention is in fact to create a flag which, when seen moving at some distance, will appear to have columns of equal width.
 The current French ensign, with proportions different from those of the French flag. |
Historic Ensigns
The royal Arms
As with the ensigns of other countries, the French ensign in the beginning of the 14th century was a banner of the royal arms, blue filled with golden French lilies. Sometimes it bears a white cross.
In 1365, Charles V changed to a blue flag with just three golden French lilies. Charles V ( 21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380) called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death and a member However, reports as late as 1514 still occasionally mention the use of the lilies and cross flag.
Occasionally illustrations from this era too show the white cross, now on a red field, but this is mostly limited to the coats of arms only. After 1450, however, those two designs are often seen flying side by side.
The colours of Bourbon
By the time of the House of Bourbon, the royal colours had merged making blue, red, and white the royal colours; Henry IV of France even had his entire entourage dress in these colours. The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Henry IV (Henri IV ( 13 December 1553 &ndash 14 May 1610) ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and as Henry III These colours, for these or other reasons, also became the colours of the French ensigns. A plain white ensign indicated the French sailing fleet, a red flag a galley, while the blue flag was flown by the merchant ships. It's somewhat unclear whether all of these were plain flags. Eg. in 1661 the use of white flags on merchant ships is explicitly forbidden, pointing the merchants instead to the "old flag of the French nation", which then was supposed to be a white cross on blue, with on it the royal arms.
A decade or so later, the rule for the merchant navy was modified, however, to allow every kind of ensign, provided it wasn't all white. This caused two new types of French ensigns: regional or local flags flown as French ensign, and personal designs intended to show as much white as was possible without it being considered all white.
 Standard of the French royal family |
 National flag and naval ensign of France prior to 1789 and between 1814/15 and 1830 |
 The white ensign of the Artésien |
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 A ship of the line at the Battle of Martinique in 1780 |
The colours of the revolution
Until the French Revolution most merchants flew designs composed of blue and white. Notes and References This does not cite its references or sources. Please help improve this The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an In 1790, however, the revolution joined all three colours in one flag, and the new ensign became the white flag with a canton of three equal columns of red, white, and blue. Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Since the white field was too royal for the taste of the revolution, on 27 pluviôse year II of the French Republican Calendar (15 February 1794), the flag and the ensign were changed to the design of the current flag of France: Three columns of equal width, of blue, white, and red. Pluviôse (also Pluviose) was the fifth Month in the French Republican Calendar. The French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a Calendar proposed during the French Revolution, and used by the French government The same banner was again decreed to be the flag on 7 March 1848. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap
To counter the effect that the fly of an ensign appears to shorten when moving in the wind, the widths of the columns were regulated anew on 17 May 1853, now as 30:33:37. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common
 1790 to 15 February 1794 |
 On Loutherbourg's the Glorious First of June, the Montagne flies the white flag with a tricolour canton |
1794 to 1814/1815 |
French colonial flags
A number of flags used by French colonies are similar to British ensigns that were adopted by colonies throughout the British Empire except that they use the French tricolour in place of the Union Flag. Philip James de Loutherbourg, also seen as Philippe-Jacques and Philipp Jakob and with the appellation the Younger ( 31 October 1740 Lord Howe's action or the Glorious First of June is a 1795 painting by Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg of the victory of British naval forces under Career As the largest ship of the line in the Brest fleet the ship spent much of her early career as the fleet Flagship. France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world This article concerns the ensigns flown by vessels and aircraft of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. For more information on these flags see French colonial flags. Some of the colonies, protectorates and mandates of the French Colonial Empire used distinctive colonial flags.
National ensign and cocarde
The ensign of the Marine nationale differs from the national flag by its slightly darker blue, and by the dimensions of the stripes: while the stripes of the national flag has 1:1:1 proportions, the naval ensign has 30:33:37. An ensign is a distinguishing Flag of a ship or a military unit or a distinguishing token emblem or badge such as a symbol of office The National flag of France (known in French as drapeau tricolore, drapeau français,and in military parlance les couleurs These differences were set in the 19 Century for optical reasons.
The naval ensign is flown
- when docked: at the stern and at the bowsprit (if not replaced by the FNFL or the jack of a military award, see below)
- at sea: on the mast. The stern is the rear or aft part of a Ship or Boat, technically defined as the area built up over the Sternpost, extending upwards from the Counter The bowsprit, or boltsprit, of a Sailing vessel is a pole extending forward from the vessel's prow
The dimensions of the ensign depend of the size of the ship, the circumstances (ceremony or regular service) and the position (aft, bowsprit or mast).
The cocarde of aircraft of the Aviation Navale differs from the regular cocarde by bearing a black anchor. The Aviation navale ( Naval aviation) of the French Navy includes 162 airplanes (138 of them combat-capable and 6800 men both civilians and military personnel
Bowsprit jacks and pennants
FNFL ensign
The FNFL ensign is flown by the ships which have fought with the Forces Navales Françaises Libres, or by ships named after such ships. The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces
Two ships of the FNFL are still in service, the schoolship schooners Étoile and Belle Poule. See also French ship ''Étoile'' for eponymous ships
A number of modern ships bear the names of ships which have fought with the FNFL, wither because the names are traditional in the French Navy (Ouragan for instance), or specifically after a particularly significant ship (Aconit for instance). Such ships include
- the nuclear submarine Casabianca
- the stealth frigate Aconit and Surcouf
- the TCD Ouragan;
Additionally, the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle also flies the flag, in honour of General De Gaulle, who founded the FNFL. Notes and references Photographs Photographs Development Construction The carrier replaced ''Foch'', a conventionally-powered aircraft carrier in 2001 Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French
Military award jacks
Military award jacks are flown by ships which have received mention in dispatches. Mentioned in Despatches (MID is a Military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service
- green or blue jack: color of the Croix de guerre (2 or 3 mentions)
- yellow jack: color of the médaille militaire (4 or 5 mentions)
- red jack: color of the Légion d'honneur (5 mentions and more)
Each jack wear a croix de guerre, of different colors depending of the conflicts during which the mentions are won. The Croix de Guerre (sometimes lowercase in French Croix de guerre, meaning "Cross of War" is a military decoration of both France and The Médaille militaire (Military Medal is a decoration of the French Republic which was first instituted in 1852.
Crew members wear the corresponding fourragère
Masthead pennant
The masthead pennant, called flamme de guerre ("war pennant") indicates a Navy ship with a commissioned commanding officer. The Commissioning pennant or Masthead pennant is a Pennant (also spelt "pendant" flown from the Masthead of a Warship. If applicable, this pennant is replaced with the jack of a high ranking officer or a minister aboard,
There is a tradition that when a ship is on mission off France for more than 5 months, she lengthens her masthead pennant by one metre for each month spent away from the homeland. A notable occurrence is the cruiser Georges Leygues which sailed for Dakar on the 9th September 1940 and fought with the FNFL, away from German-occupied France, until the Liberation; when she entered Toulon harbour on the 13 September 1944, she is said to have flown a 60-metre long masthead pennant. For the Dakar Rally see Dakar Rally. For the Israeli submarine see INS Dakar. Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large
Honour and command jacks
The following jacks are flown on the masthead if a minister, general officier or division commanding officer are aboard
 Jack of the Prime Minister |
 Jack of the Minister of Defence |
 Jack of the Minister of Overseas France |
 Jack of the chief of staff of the Armies |
 Jack of the chief of staff of the Navy |
 Jack of an admiral |
 Jack of a Vice-amiral d'escadre |
 Jack of a vice-amiral |
 Jack of a contre-amiral |
 Jack of a capitaine de vaisseau commanding a division |
 Jack of a capitaine de vaisseau commanding a unit |
 harbour commanding officer (in NATO operations, the "Starboard" is used) |
 senior merchant navy officer (if no French warship is present) |
See also
Sources
- F. The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers The Minister of Defence ( Ministère de la Défense) is the French Government cabinet member charged with running the Military of France The Minister of Overseas France ("Ministre de l'Outremer" formerly "Minister of Overseas France and her Colonies" is a cabinet member in the Government Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority Counter Admiral is an Anglicisation of a Naval rank found in most navies of the world The rank Insignia of the French Navy ( French: Marine Nationale) are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets The rank Insignia of the French Navy ( French: Marine Nationale) are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets The Blue Ensign is a Flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated with the United Kingdom. The Red Ensign or " Red Duster " is a Flag that originated in the early 17th century as an Ensign flown by the Royal Navy. This article concerns the ensigns flown by vessels and aircraft of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories This is list of flag galleries hosted on Wikimedia Commons. While browsing the galleries please use the Back button of your Web browser to get back to Wikipedia A maritime flag is a Flag designated for use on Boats and other watercraft E. Hulme, The Flags of the World: Their History, Blazonry, and Associations, From the Banner of the Crusader to the Burgee of the Yachtsman; Flags National, Colonial, Personal; The Ensigns of Mighty Empires; the Symbols of Lost Causes (Colonial Edition), Frederick Wayne and Co. , London, pp. 152, (1895).
- W. J. Gordon, Flags of the World Past and Present: Their Story and Associations, Frederick Wayne and Co. , Ltd. , London, pp. 265, (1929).
- B. McCandless, and G. Grosvenor, "Our Flag Number", The National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C. , Vol. XXXII, No. 4, pp. 420, October, (1917).
- G. Grosvenor, and W. J. Showalter, "Flags of the World", The National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C. , Vol. LXVI, No. 3, pp. 338-396, September, (1934).
- Flags of All Nations Volume I. National Flags and Ensigns (B. R. 20(1) 1955), Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, (1955).
- Flags of All Nations Volume II. Standards of Rulers, Sovereigns and Heads of State; Flags of Heads of Ministries, and of Naval, Military, and Air Force Officers (B. R. 20(2) 1958), Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, (1958).
- Flags of All Nations Change Five (BR20), Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, (1989), Revision (1999).
- W. Smith, Flags Through the Ages and Across the World, McGraw-Hill Book Co. Whitney Smith is a professional Vexillologist, ie scholar of flags , Ltd. , Maidenhead, England, pp. 361, (1975).
- J. W. Norie, and J. S. Hobbs, Three Hundred and Six Illustrations of the Maritime Flags of All Nations; Arranged Geographically, with Enlarged Standards: Together with Regulations and Instructions Relating to British Flags &c. , Printed for, and Published by C. Wilson, At the Navigation Warehouse and Naval Academy, No. 157, Leadenhall Street, Near Cornhill, (Facsimile reprint of 1848 original), (1987).
- Ottfried Neubecker, Flaggenbuch (Flg. B. ). Bearbeitet und herausgegeben vom Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine. Abgesclossen am 1. December 1939, (Historical Facsimile edition containing all national and international flags 1939-1945), pp. 193, (1992).
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