Original Kriegsmarine Flaggenbuch

I never thought I would ever get hold of an original copy of the rare first 1939 Flaggenbuch edition printed for the Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
For those who know what I am talking about you'll realize how lucky I am to have one of these as they are almost impossible to find. After some research on the internet I only managed to find one copy at an antique dealer in Hamburg (many deffects and denazified ) for 590 Euros....
Another editor had made a reprint in the U.S (1700 copies for over 750$ each...).

So imagine my surprise when my own mother called me to tell me a neignbour had brought a book at her home for me and that he had no use of it and gave it to me as a present.....

Wow, I had to look at it twice before I realized I was not holding an original copy, but also that it was assigned to a Kriegsmarine unit and has amendents from 1941 to 1943 , including updates and alterations + annotations.


It's a large heavy book written in gothic alphabet with all the flags of the world with sized included for
identifiaction purposes and for flagmakers of the KM. it's also a value tool to spot fake flags. Even the distanc ebetween the 48 stars of the U.S. flags are measured up to a tenth of milimeter. German precision at its best.

 

Could someone decipher the unit it assigned to? I can read "Schwimmende Flakbatterie ......" but not the last word.

It means marine Flak batterie.. ......

 

Mein Gott Skip !

a hearty congratulations on the acquirement of this very sought after Km item and furthermore your stamp indicates the heavy Flak ship Arcona which was mobil and then rigged in such a way to protect Swinemünde from the RAF heavy bombers and lesser extent the Soviet bombers which crippled and sank her along with another mobil Flak ship. the two ships plus several off shore batteries for propaganda purposes were all included together as Swinemünde Flakbatterrie ............. at least 5 KM marine Flak Abteilungs were along the strait on either side of Swinemünde during 1945 and were also used in ground defense against Soviet armor with their 8.8cm weapons......

small pic half way down this site on the left. 105mm's are present.

http://www.navypedia.org/ships/germany/ger_cr_niobe.htm

 

Thanks Erich this is useful info you gave me. I couldn't read Arcona but now that you gave me the name it's obvious!


I suppose this is the Kriegsmarine shiff you mean.


Schwimmende Flakbatterie Arcona in 1940/1941

[TABLE="width: 750"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 750, align: left"]Laid down as Kleiner Kreuzer Medusa[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


[h=3]Contruction Data[/h][TABLE="width: 750"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: right"]Laid down: [/TD]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: left"] AG. Weser Bremen, 1900[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: right"]Launched: [/TD]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: left"] 05.12.1900[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: right"]Commissioned: [/TD]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: left"] 26.07.1901 (July 1940 as floating AA battery)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: right"]Fate: [/TD]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: left"] scrapped 1948/1949[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: right"]Costs: [/TD]
[TD="width: 375, bgcolor: A6C4D4, align: left"] [/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

yes scrapped after it was sunk right in the bay, the crew was removed and fled or should say served on foot with Panzerfausts and K 98's. the floating KM AA batteries were old ships or captured ones and then refitted with heavy 8.8cm or 10.5's

 

Thanks again Erich. I suppose the book was picked up right after the combats by a someone who then took it to France.
I can imagine some allied soldiers or even civilians (or children using it as a play field) visting the partly floating wreckage after the war becausee it was apparently removed in 948 or 1949 only. I'm wondering whehther the Arcona was scuttled at shore and capsized or not, or if it was sank in the middle of a the Schweinmünde . I'd opt for the first hypothesis because the book was never touched by water. In a nuthsells this relic is not a only a rarity because of the book itslef but also because it is a survivor from the Arcona. Wow, your help sure made my day!

One more pic for your pleasure so you can se the obsolete flags were still represented. (Used for veteran commemorations for instance)

 

A photo of the Arcona as a Flak ship

View attachment 14786

 

Cheers Leccy, the Flak batteries are clearly showing .