NAVAL RESERVE FLAG.

(Pl. II.)

225. The Naval Reserve flag is a distinctive mark for a private merchant vessel commanded by an officer of the Naval Reserve Force that has been authorized to display this flag by the Secretary of the Navy. It shall be displayed at the main. It is not displayed in lieu of the national ensign.

NAVAL DISTRICT PENNANTS.

226. The naval district pennants are distinctive marks of naval district vessels and are displayed to indicate that the vessels displaying them are the flagships of the force, section, or division commander. Naval district pennants shall be displayed from the after truck, and when so displayed replace the commission pennant. As naval district pennants are not displayed from boats, they are furnished in one size only.

227. The pennant of the naval district section commander has the section number surcharged in Roman numerals and that of the division commander has the division number surcharged in Arabic numerals.

BATTALION FLAGS.

(PI. II.)

}

228. The battalion flags for Infantry and Artillery are provided for naval landing forces.

NAVAL MILITIA DISTINGUISHING FLAGS.

(Pl. II.)

229. The Naval Militia distinguishing flag shall be hoisted at the fore masthead at all times on all vessels loaned by the Navy Department to a State for the use of the Naval Militia, and on all vessels in commission in reserve and assigned to the States for the instruction of the Naval Militia, when such vessels are actually under the command of a Naval Militia officer..

230. The Naval Militia commission pennant and commodore's pennant shall be worn by Naval Militia vessels in the same way that is prescribed for the similar pennants on vessels of the Navy.

RED CROSS FLAG.

(Pl. II.)

231. The Red Cross flag (Geneva Convention) is an emblem and distinctive signal of sanitary service which shall be accompanied by the national flag of the country to whose service the sanitary establishment or formation belongs. The sanitary branch of naval encampments and naval shore establishments shall fly the Red Cross flag, marking that part of the encampment or establishment entitled to protection under the rules of the Geneva Convention. This flag may be displayed either from a separate staff or from a gaff or signal yard of the staff flying the national ensign. It shall not be flown on the same halyard as the national ensign.

232. Hospital ships will fly the Red Cross flag at the main in place of the narrow pennant. Boats engaged in sanitary service and hospital boats of landing parties shall fly the Red Cross flag from a staff in the bow.

233. The submarine warning flag is hoisted on the tender or parent ship of submarines or on launches accompanying them, to indicate that submarines are operating submerged in that vicinity.

CHURCH PENNANT.

(Pl. II.)

234. The church pennant shall be hoisted at the same place of hoist and over the ensign during the performance of Divine service on board vessels of the Navy.

QUARANTINE FLAG.

235. The quarantine flag (Alphabet flag "Q") is hoisted at the foremast head or most conspicious hoist on all infected ships or ships in quarantine. It shall be kept flying day and night and be carried in the bow of all boats belonging to the ship having this flag hoisted. 236. It should be hoisted by incoming ships as a signal to the health officer of the port that pratique is desired.

BATTLE EFFICIENCY PENNANT.

((Pl. I.)

237. The battle efficiency pennant shall be worn at the fore, when at anchor, on such vessels as may have been officially declared entitled to fly it for excellence in battle efficiency.

INTERNATIONAL ANSWERING PENNANT. ༈ 』,***

}

(Pl. II.)

I

10238. The dot and dash equivalent of the International answering pennant is i (MM made as one sign). In addition to the uses prescribed in the International Code of Signals, the International answering pennant (or its dot and dash equivalent) is used to answer the call "G" (see article 306) as follows:

(1) by flag, by hoisting the International answering pennant at the dip. The answering pennant is kept at the dip while communication is being exchanged, and is two blocked and hauled down when communication has been understood and is completed.

(2) by dot and dash, by making the dot and dash equivalent ) of the International answering pennant.

FLAG OF TRUCE.

239. The flag of truce is a square white flag and its proper use is, in general, in the interest of humanity. When displayed from any conspicuous point of hoist indicates it is desired to send a communication, but the truce does not exist until the hoist has been replied to. A belligerent may decline to receive a flag of truce. On blank guns being fired while a flag of truce is displayed, the ship bearing it must stop and not approach nearer. Boats and bearers must act in a similar manner. Bearers of a flag of truce are inviolable provided they do not act improperly. Should they do so or should the flag be used improperly to obtain information, the bearers may become subject to capture and may become subject to punishment as spies.

FLAGS OF THE UNITED STATES, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS,

ETC.

240. Plates showing the service flags of the United States Government departments, flags of the principal maritime nations of the world, and the house flags and funnel markings of some of the principal steamship lines engaged in American trade and the signal

letters of American vessels may be found in the Department of Commerce publication "Seagoing Vessels of the United States, Part VI.' 241. The following flags of the various Government departments are displayed as indicated below: bro

TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

Secretary of the Treasury: At the main when the Secretary of the Treasury is aboard a vessel of the Coast Guard Service and at the fore when he is aboard a vessel of the Public Health Service. T Assistant Secretary of the Treasury: Same as for the Secretary of the Treasury.o Milou yo bud tegurnoi adı

Coast Guard: At the fore of Coast Guard vessels in home waters only. The Coast Guard commission pennant (verticals red and white stripes) is flown at the main in home waters. In foreign waters, the Navy commission pennant is flown in lieu of the Coast Guard commission pennant. the

Public Health Service; At the mast of vessels engaged Public Health Service.

7311 WAR DEPARTMENT.

in t

Secretary of War: At the main when the Secretary of War is aboard a vessel of the War Department.

Assistant Secretary of War: Same as for the Secretary of War.

Chief of Staff: A flag of scarlet and white silk (or bunting) joined with a diagonal seam from lower left-hand corner to upper right-hand corner—a large five-pointed star, in white, in the center in the center of the star, the coat of arms of the United States. In each of the upper left and right hand corners of the scarlet silk, a white star; and in each of the lower left and right hand corners of the white silk, a red star. Edges of flag are trimmed with yellow fringe. When the flag is of bunting, the fringe is omitted; same as for the Secretary of War.

Ordnance: By vessels of the War Department assigned to the Ordnance Service.

Engineer Corps, U. S. Army: At the main, or in the absence of masts, on a staff over the stern or at some other appropriate place, of vessels of the War Department assigned to the Engineer Corps, A DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.Dalt og pozem Secretary of Commerce: At the main when the Secretary of Commerce is aboard a vessel of the Department of Commerce.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce: Same as for the Secretary of Commerce.

Commissioner of Fisheries: At the main when the Commissioner of Fisheries is aboard a vessel assigned to the Bureau of Fisheries. Commissioner of Lighthouses: At the main when the Commissioner of Lighthouses is aboard a vessel assigned to the Bureau of Lighthouses.

Superintendent of Coast and Geodetic Survey: At the main when the Superintendent of Coast and Geodetic Survey is aboard a vessel assigned to that service.

The service flags of the Bureau of Fisheries, Bureau of Lighthouses, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and Bureau of Navigation: At the foremast head on holidays, on occasions of ceremony when entering port after an extended voyage, and at any other time when the national ensign is hoisted that the commanding officer of the vessel may direct. At no time are service flags to be shown without the national ensign.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.

Immigration service flag: At the mast of vessels and from the flagstaff in bow of boat on active duty day or night.

4

赛 UNITED STATES SHIPPING BOARD FLAG,

The United States Shipping Board flag or pennant (a white background; set in its center and proportionate to its size, an upright anchor of blue, whose stock and arms stand out behind a national shield with a top border of blue containing three white stars above 13 alternating red and white stripes-seven red and six white; the emblem sets uniformly between the letters U. S. and the letters S. B., all in red proportionately spaced at the left and right of the emblem respectively): At the main of all vessels operated by the Shipping Board. It is not displayed by vessels owned by the Shipping Board but operated under contract by private companies.

INTERNATIONAL SIGNALS.

242. (1) The International Code of Signals contains a collection of signals and signal meanings especially adapted to the needs of maritime communication. The book is printed in several different languages so that intelligent communication is practicable, even though the users of the book do not speak the same language.

(2) The International Code of Signals and the procedure outlined therein are primarily for use with merchant ships. It must not be confused with naval publications and with naval procedure which are