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Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945)

by Zeljko Heimer

Overview
Poglavnik's personal standard
Air-Force Flag
Flag of Vojskovodja

See also:

Overview

After the breakdown of Yugoslavia in 1941 a quisling regime proclaimed the Independent State of Croatia. The flag was again red white blue with a symbol of the leading pro nazi party Ustasa, a chequered red and white with letter U above in a wattle.
Zeljko Heimer, 14 October 1995

I read that back than Croatia technically was a kingdom under the absentee King Tomislav II, the Italian Duke of Spoleto. Did he have a royal flag?
Mark Sensen 30 September 1999

Not that I'm avare of. He was never crowned, and technically he was
not the king, but prince . He might have used some flag of his own in Italy (though it seems that he was quite reluctant to take the claim), but there was none "waiting" for him in Croatia.
Zeljko Heimer 4 October 1999

Poglavnik's personal standard

by Mark Sensen 30 September 1999

Today I received some flag books I ordered from an Internet book shop. One I received was:
N. Thomas & K. Mikulan, "Axis Forces in Yugoslavia 1941-5" (Men-at-arms series, no. 282), Osprey Publishing, 1995.
I browsed it, and on a colour plate (hand drawing) I discovered a flag which I looked up on Zeljko's FAME pages. It was the Poglavnik's personal standard. But the border was a little different:
A: all squares are of equal size (on Zeljko's site the ones in the corners are a little bit bigger)
B: all squares have the red at the top and the blue at the bottom (on Zelkjo's site the squares at the fly and bottom are the other way around)
C: the white stripe in the squares are wider, it looks as if the border between red and white continues as the border between white and blue in the neighbouring square.

I'm not claiming this is the right desgin (it wasn't a photo, but a drawing by hand), but maybe it contains something usefull.
Mark Sensen 30 September 1999

by Zeljko Heimer , 4 October 1999

detail of hoist upper corner ("curl")
by Zeljko Heimer , 4 October 1999

I just received most kindly from Emil Dreier some materials on the flags of WW II Croatia. Among other things there is the copy from official gazette that can certainly remove all questions regarding this flag. Both my image sent previously, and this one sent by Mark, as well as some other images shown in vex- publications, have some minor errors according to the prescriptions in official gazette. Instead of listing what is wrong and what is right, I better give the definition as given there, and then if necesserily take a look at certain elements remaining "unclear".

The source is "Zakonska odredba o drzavnom grbu, drzavnoj zastavi, Poglavnikovoj zastavi, drzavnom pecatu, pecatima drzavnih i samoupravnih ureda" (Legal regulations on the state coat of arms, the state flag, the flag of Poglavnik, the state seal and the seals of state and self-governing offices), 28 April 1941, issued in "Narodne novine" (Official gazette) nr. 15/CV, 30 April 1941 and signed by Poglavnik Dr. Ante Pavelic. The regulations became valid on the day of issue in the official gazette.

The article 3 define the flag of Poglavnik ("leader"). My translation follows:

"The flag of Poglavnik, that is hoisted in his office, on his quarters if he is present, and which is carried beside him in all ceremonial occasions, is the flag of 25 square fields, interchangeably white and red (blood colour), ordered in five rows so that in upper first row the first field is white. In that row, in the first white field near hoist is the curl ["curly ornament"] described in article 1 made in silver on white area, and in the middle of the curl is big [capital] dark blue letter U. Around these 25 fields there is a thin golden border, and around this outer border consisting of squares diagonally divided by white stripe. The upper triangle gained by this is red (blood colour), while lower is blue. Three of such squares come to one square of the chequy filed of the flag."

For understanding this, we need part of article 1 describing the "curl":

"... sign star-like in shape made of tripple-wattle curl of the same red colour, in which there is big [capital] letter U of dark blue."

The same red colour, is the colour of croatian flag defined as blood red throughout the regulations in paranthesis. However, it is clear from art. 3 that in the flag of Poglavnik this "curl" is made of silver (probably it was really made of real siver threads), and not red.

Article 5 of the same regulations define that the images accomapnying it are intergal part of it. And indeed this issue of the official gazette have the images. The questions not clear from the regulations can be sorted out from the image. The width of the golden border is not defined, but obviously it was not intended to - it is "as thin as possible to be still visible". I would guess it was made as thick as the thread was. The size of "white bend sinistre" in the outer border squares in hard to define. They seem not to be all the same all around the border, which is, I believe, the effect of unperfect printing technique of the time. There also seems that here or there, there are white "fibrilations" between touching red and blue triangles, which are IMHO, not supposed to be there in real flag (nor have I ever seen them in photographs of the flag), and they must be another printing effect. What is most misterious are the corner cheques, two of which seem bigger, while other two do not. since the descriprion does not mention any difference, I would guess that this is yet another effect, and that they should all be of the same size. There might also be that they seem bigger due to the effect produced by the golden outline which do not "cover" them as it cover other squares in the border. The size of white bend is hard to estimate numerically, but it is apprximately as on my image (and certainly, red and blue triangles have common edge, not only a point).

From the b/w copy of the official gazzete it is possible to speculate that the white chqeues on the image are actually silver, though the text do not mention that and explicitly say that they are white (on contrary mentioning that the "curl" is silver on white "area"). The same thing can be concluded from Neubecker (page 103a, of which I have also b/w copy, but according to Ivan Sache's comments accompaning it they cheques are there silver too). In fact, one can clearly see difference of the first cheque field colour (silver) and the white background of the "curl").
Zeljko Heimer 4 October 1999

Neubecker has two different (mirorred) pattern of the curl for the Poglavnik's standard and the national flag! What Zeljko had giffed is what Neubecker uses for the national flag. what Neubecker uses for the Poglavnik's standard is a mirrored version of your curl.

by Ivan Sache 5 October 1999

Neubecker has two different (mirorred) pattern of the curl for the Poglavnik's standard and the national flag! What Zeljko Heimer have giffed is what Neubecker uses for the national flag. what Neubecker uses for the Poglavnik's standard is a mirrored version of your curl. (here are a sketch of both versions, fide Neubecker.) the difference is difficult to explain and seems minor, but is evident when you look carefully at Neubecker's plate - I assume there is a mistake in Neubecker, but this does not tell you which curl is correct.
Ivan Sache 5 October 1999

It is true what you say about Neubecker, and it is the same in the images from the official gazette, though it seems that this difference is nowhere prescribed (the text doesn not mention it - it explicitly say that the curl should be the same apart from colour!). Looking further into some other places where this simbol apears that were at hand (stamps, money, box of matches and some other places) it seems that the curl was made any way it suited them - and made no difference.
In the photographs of the real flag, it is hard to say what was "the way the curl went", the details are usually so small.
In a meterial of unknown source (which include all of those many 1944 rank flags) that was among the papers of Neubecker for his prepaired (and never issued) 1944 issue of the great flagbook, that I was kindly given by Dr. Emil Dreyer, the curls are all in the same direction, and that is exactly oposite of the one I posted previously (and oposite of the national flag according to official gazette).
However, as I said, I would guess that the diection of the curl was ignored and of no significance. Though for the my images , we may as well follow the pattern used in the official gazette, and have the "proper" image
Zeljko Heimer 17 October 1999

Air-Force Flag

by Zeljko Heimer , 27 December 1999

While we were discussing here the flags and ensigns of the Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945), a question was arosed about the exsistance of the Air Force ensign. It is not shown in the famous Neubecker book [1] (see bibliography below), and in other sources that mention it (notably Emil Dreyer [2]) either refer directly or indirectly to David Littlejohn [3] (which I have not seen) or to Dreyer's article. I have done the same on my flag pages [4], and when I was pointed out that there is a question about the existance of this flag, I left the issue open not being able to provide some stronger evidence either pro or contra.
I may be able now to show that there was indeed such a flag prescribed by official legislation. I was generously given copies of the contemporary gazettes that mention it by a visitor of my pages, Mr. Krunoslav Mikulan from Cakovec, Croatia.
As it is known, the law [5] that introduced the national flag of the Independent State of Croatia, as well as Poglavnik's standard and naval ensign in April 1941 did not mention the Air Force at all. However, already in May 1941 it was issued as separate law [6] that defined the Air Force ensign and airplane markings. It was probably issued in the official gazette, but the source that I have is the Gezette of the Armed Forces, which reprinted the law in full, and I guess have the same legal power. Unfortunaely, it does not mention the official gazette of the "original" issue (lake the next one does, as it shall be seen), but that can easily be determined.
The law consists of five simple articles, which are best given in full (my translation, AF = Air Force):

Art. 1.
The flag of the Independent State of Croatia Air Force is of 25 rectangular fields, white and red (blood colour), ordered interchangably in 5 rows, so that in the first upper row the starting field is white. The rectangles are in ratio of height to width = 2:3. The flag is bordered with blue border of 1/6 width of the height of one field. In the first 2 fields of the first (upper) row is set an eagle in black-silver colour. That flag is hoisted on the AF Commands and on all air fields from sunrise to sundown.

Art. 2.
The nationality marking is a shild of 25 rectangular fields, white and red (blood colour) ordered interchangably in 5 rows, so that the first field is white. This marking is carried on all airplanes, so:
a) on right upper wing marking in ratio with wing depth = 1:5;
b) on lower side of wing on right and left in ratio to wing depth = 1:2;
c) on vertical plane on right and left side in ratio to the vertical plane height = 1:2.

Art. 3.
The images of the AF Flag and nationality markings are integral part of this decision.

Art. 4.
The implementation of this decision is given to the AF Commander.

Art. 5
This decision is effective on the day of issue in the official gazette.

In Zagreb, 20th May 1941.
[signed]
Vojskovodja [=Marchal] Slavko Kvaternik, m.p.

Poglavnik [="Leader"] Dr. Ante Pavelic/, m.p.

So, the date of adoption of the AF ensign (side note: the word for flag and ensign in Croatian is the same generic word for flag, and I used "flag" in the translation for precision, but here "ensign" may be of better use) is 20-MAY-1941. The day of the effectivnes of the decision is not known (as I do not know the date of issue in the official gazette), but I believe that it is between 20 and 24 MAY 1941, since I guess that the law was first issued the the official gazette and then only in the military gazette.
From the same source there is in 1943 given the text of another decision [7] that includes the AF ensign into the "general" flag law
of 1941. There is no need of full translation (since in many cases it is fragmentary, giving instructions to include the AF ensign among other symbols defined with that law). Unfortunately, I have only fragment of that law - the first page with four articles, but that seems to include all of the importance.
The article 2 give description of the AF ensign the same as in 1941 law, but with slightly more detailed description of the eagle:
[On first two fields there is] in silver colour embroderied, and in black outlined and hatched symbol of a flying eangle. The size of the symbol is: length 15/10 of a rectangle width, and height is 5/10 of the rectangle height....That flag is used on all air fields, offices and barracs of the military air force.
Article 3 define nationality markings (only described, without the size and position prescription as in 1941 law), but it also introduce the marking for non-military (civilian) aircrafts. That marking is
entierly the same as the AF ensign, but without the eagle. However, on should not that it is not mentioned that it is to be used as flag, so it is not civil aviation flag, only marking on aircrafts.
As I said, the end of the law is missing, so I do not know the details of the effectivnes date and similar, but that is of minor importace, as it is mainly only "confirmation" of the existing laws.

References:
1. Otfried Neubecker: Flaggenbuch 1939 [neu39] with later additions
2. Emil Dreyer: Croacia, in BANDERAS nr. 19, June 1986. [ban]
3. David Littlejohn: Foreign Legions of the Third Reich, Vol. 3, R James Bender Publishing, San Jose, California, 1985.
4. Zeljko Heimer: The Flags and Arms of the Modern Era, http://jagor.srce.hr/~zheimer/flags/home.htm, 1996-1999, consulted 20-DEC-1999.
5. Zakonska odredba o drzavnom grbu, drzavnoj zastavi, Poglavnikovoj zastavi, drzavnom pecatu i pecatima drzavnih i samoupravnih ureda, 28. travnja 1941, Narodne Novine 15/CV, Zagreb, 30. travnja 1941. (Legal decision on the state coat of arms, the state flag, the Poglavnik's flag, the state seal and the seals of the state and selfgoverning offices, 28-APR-1941, Official Gazette, 30-APR-1941)
6. Zakonska odredba o zastavi zracnih snaga Nezavisne Drzave Hrvatske i o oznaci drzavnosti na aeroplanima zracnih snaga Nezavisne Drzave Hravtske, 20. svibnja 1941, Vjesnik vojnih naredaba i zapovjedi za cjelokupnu oruzanu snagu Nezavisne Drzave Hrvatske, br. 9, 24. svibnja 1941.(Legal decision on the flag of the Independent State of Croatia Air Force, and on the nationality markings on the aircrafts of the Independent State of Croatia Air Force, 20-MAY-1941, Gazette of the military orders and commands for the entire armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia, nr. 9, 24-MAY-1941)
7. Zakonska odredba o dopuni zakonske odredbe o drzavnom grbu, drzavnoj zastavi, Poglavnikovoj zastavi, drzavnom pecatu i pecatima drzavnih i samoupravnih ureda od 28. travnja 1941. broj XXXVII-53- Z.p.-1941, Vjestnik Ministarstva oruzanih snaga, br. 48/III, Zagreb, 27. studena 1943, pretiskano iz Narodnih novina br. 269 od 24. XI. 1943. (Legal decision on additions to the legal decision [nr. 5 above], Gazette of the Ministry of Armed Forces, reprint from the Official gazette nr. 269, 24-NOV-1943)
Zeljko Heimer , 27 December 1999

Flag of Vojskovodja

Flag of Vojskovodja
by Zeljko Heimer, 30 December 1999

Enlarged detail of the "crest"
by Zeljko Heimer, 30 December 1999
(Note that everything that apears silver in the image is "reconstruction", and possibly simple white, or even golden-yellow might have been used. Z.H)

In my correspondence with Krunoslav Mikular, he sent me info on a Croatian WWII flag I have not found mentioned in any vex sources known to me - the flag of Vojskovodja.
Vojskovodja was the highest rank of the Independent State of Croatia regular army (Domobrani = "home guard"), equaled with the rank of Marchal. The only person that bore it was Slavko Kvaternik, from April 1941 to January 1943, when he was retired. Kvaternik was, in the same time the _Ministar Hrvatskog Domobranstva_ (comparable with defence ministry). The Ministry was renamed in January 1943 to _Ministarstvo Oruz<anih snaga_, and took the command over the Ustasa forces (Ustas<ka vojnica), as well, which was until then separate body. since then the term _Domobranstvo_ designated only the Army ("land forces") and not the entire armed forces. (information thanks to Krunoslav Mikulan).
The flag of Vojskovodja is shown in "Domobranski priruc<nik" ("Military gudiebook") issued in 1942. The image is black and white, with stripes hatched with heraldical lines for red and blue, while the elements encirceling the coat of arms are not hatched. Comparing the practice used on Poglavnik's flag as well as on the Air Force ensign, I have assumed that these elements are embroideried in slik and outline black, but that might be wrong.
The flag is square Croatian tricolour with the Croatian coat of arms (chequy shield, "first-white" square), outlined with border, off-set somewhat lower then the flag center, set over two sword in saltire, topped with air forces badge (spread eagle) wich in turn is topped with "U" wattle from the state coat of arms, in which "U" is replaced with initials "NDH" (for "Nezavisna Drz<ava Hrvatska", official name of the state. This symbol (i.e. all what was found on tricolour) was the badge of _Domobranstvo_.
Interesting, the eagle in the badge is slightly different from the eagle set in the Air Force ensign. It is turned towards hoist in this flag, and it have one more "feather" in the lower parts of wings. Nevertheless, both images on which are based my drawings are from the same source, which may be indication that really two different bades were used. Though I am not quite convinced, and would assume that the differences are due to the "artistic freedom" of the illustrator of the guidebook.
As I have said, the vexillologic sources are silent about this flag, and that may be due to one particular fact - most of the sources are derived from Neubecker collection, which have been prepaired (for these flags) in 1941, when the flag might have not yet been in use, and in 1944 (huge set of rank flags, never confirmed by Croatian sources, AFAIK) when this flag would be outdated. So, it may be that this flag was overlooked only due to "misfortunate" use period.
Zeljko Heimer , 30 December 1999