International Marine Signal Flags
Although you may never see them
displayed except at fleet parades, around naval installations, and areas with
heavy international shipping traffic, International code flags are used to
signal between two ships or between ship and shore. Also called signalling
flags, they are a set of flags of different colours, shapes and markings which
used singly or in combination have different meanings. The flags include 26
square flags which depict the letters of the alphabet, ten numeral pendants, one
answering pendant, and three substitutes or repeaters.
Only a few colours can be readily
distinguished at sea. These are: red, blue, yellow, black, and white; and these
cannot be mixed indiscriminately. You will notice, for clarity, the flags shown
are either red and white, yellow and blue, blue and white, or black and white;
besides plain red, white, and blue.
One-flag signals are urgent or
very common signals (see meanings below). Two-flag signals are mostly distress
and manoeuvring signals. Three-flag signals are for points of the compass,
relative bearings, standard times, verbs, punctuation, also general code and
decode signals. Four-flags are used for geographical signals, names of ships,
bearings, etc. Five-flag signals are those relating to time and position.
Six-flag signals are used when necessary to indicate north or south or east or
west in latitude and longitude signals. Seven-flags are for longitude signals
containing more than one hundred degrees.
click here for meanings
mouse-over the flags
The first substitute repeats the upper flag or pennant of a hoist, the second
substitute repeats the second flag or pennant, and so on.