National Ensign and Cocarde
The ensign of the Marine nationale differs from the national flag by its slightly darker blue, and by the dimensions of the stripes: while the stripes of the national flag has 1:1:1 proportions, the naval ensign has 30:33:37. These differences were set in the 19 Century for optical reasons.
The naval ensign is flown
- when docked: at the stern and at the bowsprit (if not replaced by the FNFL or the jack of a military award, see below)
- at sea: on the mast.
The dimensions of the ensign depend of the size of the ship, the circumstances (ceremony or regular service) and the position (aft, bowsprit or mast).
The cocarde of aircraft of the French Naval Aviation (Aéronavale) differs from the regular cocarde by bearing a black anchor.
Read more about this topic: French Ensigns
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