Page created: 7th June 2004 Last updated: 22nd June 2004	This page is under construction! Links and images might be missing! Data presented on this page may be entirely incorrect!
The FAME is site devoted to systematic and scientific study of flags and coats of arms. Such symbols often bear strong political and other messages. Inclusion of those symbols here does not mean that the author support or approve the ideas they may stand for.

Austrian Empire, 1828 - 1853

• Imperial Standard, 1828
• Admiral’s Flag, 1828
• Cornette, 1828
• Groß-Admiral’s Flag, 1853
• Admiral’s Flag, 1853
• Commodore’s Pennant, 1853
• Post Jack, 1842
• Post Pennant, 1842

• Austria-Hungary, 1868 - 1918

Imperial Standard, 1828

K. k. Standarte

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The final result of the longish discussion over the change of the flag at the begining of 19th century was introduction of the distinction flags. In 1825, Emperor Franz II determined that the pennnat and the standard are to be displayed from the war ships only when the emperor or a prince was personally aboard, and that the merchant ships should not fly pennants at all. The Standard for the Members of the Imperial House was regulated in 1828 is in square form, yellow with the border of four-coloured black-yellow-red-white flamullets and the coat of arms in the middle. The coat of arms consists of a black double-headed eagle, each head crowned with a royal crown and both toped with an imperial crown, holding in his claws a sword and an orb, with an escutcheon impaled of Habsburg, Austria and Lorraine, and with a collar of the order of the Golden Fleece.

Admiral’s Flag, 1828

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The Josephinian tribar ensign of 1786 in a square form with the coat of arms in the middle, was established as the distinctive flag denoting the admirals. The postion of the flag on the masts (main, fore, rear) denoted the admiral's rank, as was usual in this period in all navies.

Cornette, 1828

The Cornette or the Broad Pennant was now used for designating the Line Ship Captains (Full Captain?) and the Frigate Captains (Commander?) commanding a group of ships.

Groß-Admiral’s Flag, 1853

Großadmirals-Flagge

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Archduke Ferdinand Max (the latter Emperor of Mexico, as Maximiliano I) took over the command of the Navy after the revolutionary 1848, and he introduced two new rank flags. The one of the Groß-Admiral was square red-white-red triband with the crowned shield in the middle and bordered with black and yellow triangles in the border. As it happened, this flag was never hoisted in this function, but this pattern was in 1880 determined to be used as the Command flag for Admiral.

Admiral’s Flag, 1853

Commando-Flagge für Admirale

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The other flag introduced by Archduke Ferdinand Max is the Admiral’s flag, a square red-white-red triband with the crowned shield in the middle and with a horizontally divided triband black-yellow-black jack in the canton as high as the red stripe. (Even if the English term Jack is used in German literature for this black-yellow-black emblem in the canton, there is no indication that this triband was ever used as a Gösch [=bow flag] of its own, as the term might suggest to English reader.) This flag would be placed atop the main mast, the fore mast or the rear mast depending on the Admiral’s rank (full Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, respectively). One such flag used Rear Admiral Tegetthoff in the glorious Battle by Lissa (Vis) in 1866. That original flag is today preserved in the Military History Museum in Vienna. After the 1880 this design was used as Distinction flag for General.

Commodore’s Pennant, 1853

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The previous cornette, now renamed, was now reserved only for the Ship Captians (full Captain rank, French Capitaine de Vaisseau) in command of a formation of ships.

Post Jack, 1842

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In 1842 the Emperor Ferdinand I granted the right to the Austrian Lloyd for bearing of the post flag as the jack (and also the masthead pennant below) indicating the privilege these ships have in carrying postal service. Since 1849 this was also granted to the Danube Steam Shipping Company (DDSG). Lehnert describes the flag as black and yellow with an eagle and a postal horn over the both fields. The French Naval “Album” of 1858 shows the flag somewhat more elaborate (as shown here).
The use of the flag by Lloyd was discontinued in 1866, while the DDSG retained the practice at least until the end of the century, but only in the Austrian part of the Dual Empire and abroad (i.e. not in the Hungarian waters).

Post Pennant, 1842

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The steam ships of the two big companies used together with the postal jack, also a black and yellow masthead pennant, as described above.