nautical affairs, a banner or standard, by which an admiral is distinguished at sea; also the colours by which one nation is distinguished from another.
In the British navy flags are either red, white, or blue, and are displayed from the top of the mainmast, foremast, or mizenmast, according to the rank of the admiral. When a flag is displayed from the staff on the mainmast, the officer distinguished thereby is known to be an admiral; when from the foremast, a vice-admiral; and when from the mizenmast, a rear-admiral.
The first flag in Great Britain is the royal standard, which is only to be hoisted when the king or queen is on board the vessel; the second is that of the anchor of hope, which characterizes the lord high admiral, or lords commissioners of the admiralty; and the third is the union flag, in which the crosses of St George and St Andrew are blended together. This last is appropriated to the admiral of the fleet, who is the first naval officer under the lord high admiral.
The next flag after the union is that of the white squadron at the mainmast head; and the last which characterizes an admiral is the blue, also at the mainmast head. For a vice-admiral, the first flag is the red, the second the white, the third the blue, at the flag-staff on the foremast. The same order proceeds with regard to the rear-admirals, whose flags are hoisted on the top of the mizenmast. The lowest flag in our navy is accordingly the blue on the mizenmast.
To Lower or Strike the Flag, in the navy, is to pull it down upon the cap, or to take it in, as a token of the respect due from all ships or fleets to those which are undeniably their superiors. To lower or strike the flag in an engagement is a sign of submission or surrender.
The method of leading a ship in triumph is to attach the flags to the shrouds, or the gallery, in the hind part of the ship, letting them hang down towards the water, and to tow the vessels by the stern. Livy relates that this was the mode in which the Romans used those of Carthage.
To Hoist out the Flag, is to display or put abroad the flag.
To Hang out the White Flag, is to ask quarter; or, when a vessel has arrived on a coast, it shows that it has no hostile intentions, but comes to trade, or the like. The red flag is a sign of defiance and battle.
Flag-Officers are those who command the several squadrons of a fleet; such as the admirals, vice-admirals, and rear-admirals. The flag-officers in our pay are the admiral, vice-admiral, and rear-admiral, of the white, red, and blue. See Navy.