International maritime signal flags are various flags used to communicate with ships. The principal system of flags and associated codes is the International Code of Signals. [1] Various navies have flag systems with additional flags and codes, and other flags are used in special uses, or have historical significance. [2]
There are various methods by which the flags can be used as signals:
NATO uses the same flags, with a few unique to warships, alone or in short sets to communicate various unclassified messages. The NATO usage generally differs from the international meanings, and therefore warships will fly the Code/answer flag above the signal to indicate it should be read using the international meaning.
During the Allied occupations of Axis countries after World War II, use and display of those nations' national flags was banned.[ citation needed ] In order to comply with the international legal requirement that a ship identify its registry by displaying the appropriate national ensign, swallow-tailed versions of the C, D, and E signal flags were designated as, respectively, provisional German, Okinawan, and Japanese civil ensigns. Being swallowtails, they are commonly referred to as the "C-pennant" (German: C-Doppelstander), "D-pennant", and "E-pennant".[ citation needed ]
The signal flags for M, T, V and X are respectively similar to the flags of Scotland, France, the Saint Patrick's saltire and the flag of Finland.
| Letter / radio name | Flag | Blazon | ICS meaning as single flag | Meaning when used with numeric complements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Alfa |  | Swallowtailed, per pale argent and azure | "I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed." | Azimuth or bearing |
| B Bravo |  | Swallowtailed, gules | "I am taking in or discharging or carrying dangerous goods." (Originally used by the Royal Navy specifically for military explosives.) | |
| C Charlie |  | Azure, a fess gules fimbriated argent | "Affirmative." [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] | Magnetic bearing |
| D Delta |  | Or, a Spanish fess azure | "Keep clear of me; I am maneuvering with difficulty." [lower-alpha 2] | Date |
| E Echo |  | Per fess azure and gules | "I am altering my course to starboard." [lower-alpha 2] | |
| F Foxtrot |  | Argent, a lozenge throughout gules | "I am disabled; communicate with me." [lower-alpha 3] | |
| G Golf |  | Paly of six or and azure | "I require a pilot."By fishing vessels near fishing grounds: "I am hauling nets." | Longitude (The first 2 or 3 digits denote degrees; the last 2 denote minutes.) |
| H Hotel |  | Per pale argent and gules | "I have a pilot on board." [lower-alpha 2] | |
| I India |  | Or, a pellet | "I am altering my course to port." [lower-alpha 2] | |
| J Juliett |  | Azure, a fess argent | "I am on fire and have dangerous cargo on board: keep well clear of me."or"I am leaking dangerous cargo." | |
| K Kilo |  | Per pale or and azure | "I wish to communicate with you." | "I wish to communicate with you by...":1) Morse signaling by hand-flags or arms;2) Loud hailer (megaphone);3) Morse signaling lamp;4) Sound signals. |
| L Lima |  | Quarterly or and sable | "Stop immediately." | Latitude (the first 2 digits denote degrees; the last 2 denote minutes.) |
| M Mike |  | Azure, a saltire argent | "My vessel is stopped and making no way through the water." [lower-alpha 2] | |
| N November |  | Chequy of sixteen azure and argent | "Negative." [lower-alpha 1] | |
| O Oscar |  | Per bend gules and or | "Man overboard." [lower-alpha 2] (often attached to the man overboard pole on boats).With a sinister hoist, the semaphore flag. | |
| P Papa |  | Azure, an inescutcheon argent | The blue Peter.In harbour: All persons should report on board as the vessel is about to proceed to sea.At sea: It may be used by fishing vessels to mean: "My nets have come fast upon an obstruction." | |
| Q Quebec |  | Or | "My vessel is 'healthy' and I request free pratique." | |
| R Romeo |  | Gules, a cross or | No ICS meaning as single flag. Prior to 1969: "The way is off my ship; you may feel your way past me." | Distance (range) in nautical miles. |
| S Sierra |  | Argent, an inescutcheon azure | "I am operating astern propulsion." [lower-alpha 2] | Speed (velocity) in knots |
| T Tango |  | Tierced in pale gules, argent and azure | "Keep clear of me." [lower-alpha 2] Fishing boats: "Keep clear of me; I am engaged in pair trawling." | Local time. (The first 2 digits denote hours; the last 2 denote minutes.) |
| U Uniform |  | Quarterly gules and argent | "You are running into danger." [lower-alpha 4] | |
| V Victor |  | Argent, a saltire gules | "I require assistance." | Velocity in kilometres per hour. |
| W Whiskey |  | Azure, an inescutcheon gules fimbriated argent | "I require medical assistance." | |
| X Xray |  | Argent, a cross azure | "Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals." | |
| Y Yankee |  | Bendy sinister of ten or and gules | "I am dragging my anchor." | |
| Z Zulu |  | Per saltire or, sable, gules and azure | "I require a tug."By fishing vessels near fishing grounds: "I am shooting nets." [lower-alpha 5] | Time (UTC). (The first 2 digits denote hours; the last 2 denote minutes.) |
Notes
| Number | NATO flag | ICS flag | Blazons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Zero |  |  | NATO: Argent, five crosses hummetty azure in saltire ICS: Or, a pale gules |
| 1 One |  |  | NATO: Gules, a fess or ICS: Argent, a torteau |
| 2 Two |  |  | NATO: Or, a fess gules ICS: Azure, a plate |
| 3 Three |  |  | NATO: Azure, a fess gules ICS: Tierced in pale gules, argent and azure |
| 4 Four |  |  | NATO: Gules, a saltire argent ICS: Gules, a cross of Saint Philip argent |
| 5 Five |  |  | NATO: Or, a saltire azure ICS: Per pale or and azure |
| 6 Six |  |  | NATO: Bendy sinister of seven argent and azure ICS: Per fess sable and argent |
| 7 Seven |  |  | NATO: Gules, a pale argent ICS: Per fess or and gules |
| 8 Eight |  |  | NATO: Or, a pale azure ICS: Argent, a cross of Saint Philip gules |
| 9 Nine |  |  | NATO: Azure, a pale argent ICS: Quarterly argent, sable, gules and or |
Substitute or repeater flags allow messages with duplicate characters to be signaled without the need for multiple sets of flags.
The four NATO substitute flags are as follows:
 |  |  |  |
| First substitute | Second substitute | Third substitute | Fourth substitute |
The International Code of Signals includes only the first three of these substitute flags. To illustrate their use, here are some messages and the way they would be encoded:
| "N" | | ||||
| "O" | | ||||
| "NO" | | | |||
| "NON" | | | | ||
| "NOO" | | | | ||
| "NOON" | | | | | |
| "NONO" | | | | | |
| "NONON" | | | | | |
| "NONNN" | | | | | |
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Often called bloody flags or the bloody red, pattern-free red flags were the traditional nautical symbol in European waters prior to the invention of flag signal codes to signify an intention to give battle and that 'no quarter would be given', indicating that surrender would not be accepted and all prisoners killed, but also vice versa, meaning that the one flying the flag would fight to the last man. Such flags were traditionally plain but examples with motifs also existed, such as skull and crossbones on some pirate examples.
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A diver down flag, or scuba flag, is a flag used on the water to indicate that there is a diver below. Two styles of flag are in use. Internationally, the code flag alfa/alpha, which is white and blue, is used to signal that the vessel has a diver down and other vessels should keep well clear at slow speed. In North America it is conventionally red with a white stripe from the upper left corner to the lower right corner.
Maritime flag signalling, generally flaghoist signalling, is the principal means other than radio by which ships communicate to each other or to shore. Virtually all signalling by non-naval vessels is now organized under the International Code of Signals, which specifies a standard set of flags and codes. Naval vessels generally use an extended set of flags and their own codes. This article will touch on the historical development of maritime flag signalling.
Naval flag signalling covers various forms of flag signalling, such as semaphore or flaghoist, used by various navies; distinguished from maritime flag signalling by merchant or other non-naval vessels or flags used for identification.
The Z flag is one of the international maritime signal flags.
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