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The Russian Navy Code of Signals is a collection of flaghoist signals, which is used together with semaphore alphabet for the transmission of information between the ships of the Russian Navy and also with the shore. Its use resembles that of the signals of other navies but it is only used within the Russian fleet. For communication with foreign or civilian vessels the International Code of Signals is used.[1]

The Russian Navy Code of Signals originates from a similar code of signals used by the Imperial Russian Navy. It was used by the Soviet Navy and with mostly insignificant changes remains in use by the Naval fleet of the Russian Federation.[1]

The complete set of flags consists of 59 flags: 32 flags correspond to the letters of Russian alphabet, 10 flags correspond to numbers, 4 flags are substitutes and 13 have special values.[1]

The flag used by the Soviet Navy for the third substitute was based on the jack of the Imperial Russian Navy. Now that the Russian Federation is again using the old imperial jack, a new flag design is used for the third substitute.[2]

The 32 Letters

Flag Name Transliteration Meaning Description International Use
А, Аз Az Negative Answer red swallowtail with white rectangle vertically centered at the hoist
Б, Буки Buki “Hoist anchor”, “full speed” white pennant with red disk ICS Number 1
В, Веди Vedi “Your course leads to danger” red pennant with blue white-fimbriated triangle set to the hoist
Г, Глаголь Glagolʹ “Enemy in sight” blue pennant
Д, Добро Dobro Positive answer yellow flag. ICS "Quebec"
Е, Есть Estʹ “To act independently or according to instruction” blue pennant with yellow triangle set to the hoist. ICS first substitute
Ж, Живете Živete “half speed” white flag with red lozenge ICS "Foxtrot"
З, Земля Zemlâ “motion astern” checkered blue and white flag. Identical to the ICS "November"
И, Иже Iže “Anxiety”, “the alert” yellow over red horizontal bicolor pennant ICS Number 7
Й, Иже краткое Iže Kratkoe “found mine” white swallowtail flag with black disc
K, Како Kako “I am going out of order”, “I am not under control” blue over red horizontal bicolor flag ICS "Echo"
Л, Люди Lûdi “I turn to the left” white flag with red cross throughout England
M, Мыслете Myslete “slow speed” checkered red and white flag
Н, Наш Naš I "conduct fire”, I " load ammunition” red swallowtail ICS "Bravo"
O, Он On “To follow me”, “I request permission…” yellow pennant with vertical red stripe ICS Number 0
П, Покой Pokoj “To turn to the right” yellow and blue vertical bicolor ICS "Kilo"
Р, Рцы Rcy horizontal triband of blue, white and blue ICS "Juliet"
С, Слово Slovo “All stop (engines)” blue flag with white saltire ICS "Mike"
T, Твердо Tverdo “To have a motion… of units” yellow and black quartered flag ICS "Lima"
У, Ухо Uho I "suffer calamity” red pennant with two white vertical stripes ICS answering pennant
Ф, Ферт Fert “Cancellation” yellow flag with black disc ICS "India"
Х, Хер Her “The end of the exercise” white flag with red couped cross Red Cross
Ц, Цепочка Cepočka “To return to its connection” red, yellow and blue horizontal triband
Ч, Червь Červʹ “Person(s) overboard” blue flag with small yellow lozenge
Ш, Шапка Šapka “full speed” white flag with five blue rectangles, spaced evenly and set per saltire
Щ, Ща Ŝa white pennant with red Scandinavian cross throughout ICS Number 8
Ъ, Твердый знак Tvôrdyj Znak black over white triangular flag, divided horizontally in two equal parts. ICS Number 6
Ы, Еры Ery black flag with white ascending diagonal stripe
Ь, Мягкий знак Mâkhkij Znak blue and white pennant, divided vertically ICS second substitute
Э, Э оборотное È Oborotnoe flag with five horizontal stripes, of blue, white, red, white and blue. ICS "Charlie"
Ю, Юла Ûla white flag with red saltire ICS "Victor"
Я, Яко Âko “dead slow” red flag with yellow cross ICS "Romeo"

The 10 Digits

Flag Name Transliteration Meaning Description International Use
1 единица edinica Decimal Digit 1 White beside blue vertical swallowtail bicolor. ICS "Alpha"
2 двойка dvojka Decimal Digit 2 Blue triangular pennant with white disk ICS Number 2
3 тройка trojka Decimal Digit 3 Pennant divided vertically into red/white/blue. ICS Number 3
4 четверка četverka Decimal Digit 4 Red pennant with white Scandinavian cross. ICS Number 4
5 пятёрка pâtërka Decimal Digit 5 Pennant divided vertically into yellow beside blue. ICS Number 5
6 шестёрка šestërka Decimal Digit 6 Red over yellow divided per bend dexter (from top-left to bottom-right) ICS "Oscar"
7 семерка semërka Decimal Digit 7 Red/white/blue vertical triband ICS "Tango"
8 восьмёрка vosʹmërka Decimal Digit 8 Red/White counterchanged quarters per cross ICS "Uniform"
9 девятка devâtka Decimal Digit 9 White with blue cross ICS "X-ray"
0 ноль nolʹ Decimal Digit 0 Four colors divided per saltire consisting of yellow/blue/red/black ICS "Zulu"

The four substitutes and 13 special flags

Flag Name Transliteration Meaning Description International Use
1-ый дополнительный 1-yj dopolnitelʹnyj 1st substitute red rectangle with the white border against the dark-blue background ICS "Whiskey"
2-ой дополнительный 2-оj dopolnitelʹnyj 2nd substitute red slanting strips against a yellow background ICS "Yankee"
3-ий дополнительный 3-ij dopolnitelʹnyj 3rd substitute (Soviet era) Russian navy jack with white border
3-ий дополнительный 3-ij dopolnitelʹnyj 3rd substitute (modern) white over black flag divided per bend dexter (from top-hoist to bottom-fly)
4-ый дополнительный 4-yj dopolnitelʹnyj 4th substitute Pennant quartered white, black, red and yellow. ICS Number 9
Гюйс Gûjs Soviet Navy Jack red flag with white hammer and sickle surrounded by white outline of a star
Газ Gaz poison gases black flag with the white-bordered red triangle
Дым Dym smoke screen white pennant with the black horizontal stripe ICS 3rd Substitute
Телеграфный Telegrafnyj telegraphic code yellow and blue vertical strips ICS "Golf"
Шлюпочный Šlûločnyj lower boats dark-blue flag with the white rectangle in the center ICS "Papa"
Воздушный Vozdušnyj airplanes white flag with the blue rectangle in the center ICS "Sierra"
Норд Nord North white flag with red inverted triangle
Зюйд Zûjd South white flag with black triangle
Ост Ost East white flag with black lozenge
Вест Vest West Red/white quarters divided per saltire
Вопросительный Voprostelʹnyj interrogative flag yellow, blue and yellow horizontal stripes ICS "Delta"
Ответный Otvestnyj reciprocal flag. Raised to half mast when a signal is noticed. Raised the rest of the way up when the signal is deciphered. red pennant with white disk
Исполнительный Ispolnitelʹnyj executive vertical bicolor white and red ICS "Hotel"

References

  1. ^ a b c Флаги военно-морского свода сигналов СССР http://www.hrono.ru/heraldicum/signalUS.htm
  2. ^ Флаги военно-морского свода сигналов Российской Федерации http://www.hrono.ru/heraldicum/signalRU.htm

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