Masthead Pennant
The masthead pennant, called flamme de guerre ("war pennant") indicates a Navy ship with a commissioned commanding officer. If applicable, this pennant is replaced with the jack of a high-ranking officer or a minister aboard,
There is a tradition that when a ship is on mission off France for more than 5 months, she lengthens her masthead pennant by one metre for each month spent away from the homeland. A notable occurrence is the cruiser Georges Leygues which sailed for Dakar on 9 September 1940 and fought with the FNFL, away from German-occupied France, until the Liberation; when she entered Toulon harbour on the 13 September 1944, she is said to have flown a 60-metre long masthead pennant.
Read more about this topic: French Ensigns
Famous quotes containing the word pennant:
“They are preparing to begin again:
Problems, new pennant up the flagpole
In a predicated romance.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)