World War II Submarine Battle Flags

Hanging from the ceiling beams in the World War II section of the museum are replicas of submarine battle flags of submarines that fought the war in the Pacific. Because these flags are unofficial and were individually designed by the crewmen of the different boats, the creativity, style and design of each varies. The one element common to all of them is the pride of the men who served.

Generally, a submarine’s battle flag included a mascot in caricature, a record of enemy ship sinkings and important commendations awarded to the boat (the Presidential Unit Citation, for example). Damaged ships, airmen rescued, mines laid and other special missions were also indicated on the flags.

A few boats, which were highly successful, chose not to incorporate a battle record into their design. One such boat was the USS Parche. Other points of interest are the German U-Boat sunk by and USS Barb, the Vichy French ship sunk by Bowfin, and ten aviators rescued by USS Scabbardfish.

Time continues to be a battle flag’s worst enemy. Without proper conservation battle flags deteriorate rapidly in an uncontrolled environment of bright lights and humidity. The temperature and humidity are controlled and monitored by the museum staff daily. Once damage has occurred, it cannot be reversed, even in the hands of a conservator. The few original flags on display are rotated to prevent any further deterioration. The large majority of battleflags are in controlled collections.

Standard Battle Flag Symbols