Russian Navy: fleet sections (I)

Last modified: 2002-09-21 by antonio martins
Keywords: navy | avant garde | main fleet | corps de bataille | rear guard | arriere gard | ar'ergard | avantgard | kordebatal | fleet cargo ensign | proviant flag |
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• Main fleet (1700-1712)
• Avant Guarde (1700-1865)
• Rear Guard (1700-1865)
• Fleet cargo ensign (1700-1845)

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• Russian Navy website,
  reported by Pascal Vagnat, 16 Dec 1998

Flag of "Kordebatali" (i.e Main fleet) (1700-1712)
Zeljko Heimer, 06 Apr 1999, quoting from Flag-znamya korablya, Russian Navy website, consulted 07 Mar 1999

The French originals are of course "Corps de Bataille", "Avant Guarde" and "Arri�re Guarde". These were standard military terms in the early modern period.
Norman Martin, 13 Mar 1999

In fact since 1701 the Russian fleet was divided into 3 formations, each of them using a different flag: the first formation's (battle vessels) flag was white, the second one's (vanguard) was blue and the third one's (rear-guard) was red. All of them have a white canton with a blue St.Andrew cross.
Giuseppe Bottasini, quoting [zig94]

Flag of "Avangard" (i.e. Avant Guarde) (1700-1865)
Zeljko Heimer, 06 Apr 1999, quoting from Flag-znamya korablya, Russian Navy website, consulted 07 Mar 1999

Flag of "Ar�ergard" (i.e. Arriáre Guarde - Rear Guard) (1700-1865)
Zeljko Heimer, 06 Apr 1999, quoting from Flag-znamya korablya, Russian Navy website, consulted 07 Mar 1999

From 1700 till 1845 used on cargo vessels of the fleet and was called "proviant flag", from 1705-1917 this flag was used by merchant vessels. In 1883 it became the state flag of Russia. Stern flag [i.e. ensign] (1697-1700).
Zeljko Heimer, 03 Apr 1999, quoting from Flag-znamya korablya, Russian Navy website, consulted 07 Mar 1999

Identical to the current national flag
Ant�nio Martins, 23 Oct 1999