PALUBA

I have one questions - are there any photos of KuK ships under State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs flag? As far as I know there is one photo of VIRIBUS UNITIS under this flag but are there any other?

All the best,
Andrzej

I haven't seen any, even that one you mentioned. Could you attach it?

It would be very precious, for I also haven`t seen any of these photos.

It seems that my memory failed me. The picture in question is this one:
(http://images49.fotosik.pl/216/8cdefd2a90e0d5c9.jpg)
(Please note that the photo is not mine - I have just found it in the internet)

The original can be found in Bilzer "Die Torpedoschiffe und Zerstoerer der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine 1867-1918".
Sorry for the inconvenience!

Andrzej

I think it is much smaller ship on your attached photo, probably some of destroyers.
 Viribus Unitis was for that time huge battleship with 12 305 mm in 4 gun torrets,
and unfortunatly only one day under the flag of state of Serbs-Croats-Slovenians.
It was sunk in Pula harbour in early morning of November 1st, 1918 by Italian
officers-diwers.

I will attach three old picture of Viribus Unitis taken in Pula port in 1913-1915.

"Viribus" got funnel anti bomb nets end May 1915.

After WW1 state of Serbs-Croats_slovenians got only some smaller
units like torpedoships but not any of capitol units like crusers
or battleships.

Coming back on this very topic. Photo shows Italian destroyer Orsini  at port of Lussino/Losinj first days November 1918. Next to her ex Tb82 is passing by. In a very tense situation those days, it almost came to an accident between the two ships.
Tb82 shows tricolor flag; it's a pity only part of it can be seen.
[attachment=1]
 

It is not even certain what kind of flag was flown on former Austro-Hungarian ships in November 1918. when National Council in Pula and representative of central National Councili in Zagreb Tresić-Pavičić took charge of navy. Was it Croatian red-white-blue tricolor or Yugoslav blue-white-red? According to one theory sailors improvised using signal jacks. The point was in removing Austro-Hungarian flag. State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, which existed between October 27th and December 1st and should not be confused with Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, did not have official flag. It lived in chaotic circumstances and just did not have time to legalise new flags. All kinds of national flags were used in that interregnum, and according to some (also unreliable) sources future Yugoslav tricolor was aslo used in demonstrations, public bulidings etc. Of course, all photographs are B&W so it is hard to judge about colours.

Coming back on flags - I just have come to personal notes of a former A-H navy officer, who wrote:

6.XI (1918.) - Before noon we arrived to Pola on one of TB's. What a disappointment! Instead of expected signal on entrance to port, "fleet sleeps", nobody cares. Croatian flags on ships, while on "Zrinyi" on the mast after second funnel, red flag flutters. Koch arrived without wearing sabre and no officer's posture..........."

In addition to flags raised after leaving adm. Horthy (besudes that we most probably on purpose was waiting sunset in order to gun-salute lowering of A-H flag or raising of Croatian.

There often is a question (quoting same above source that says) how a Croatian flags occurred in such a number on ships?

All A-H vessels had a large collection of foreign flags, of course Dutch flags as well, which are same as Croatian ones.

Situation in Pola 1918 was described in novel "Admiralski stijeg" (Admiral's Jack) writen by Ivan Katušić (published 1987). But, of course it is novel and fiction and cannot be taken as reliable source. Anyway, it is worth reading.

When in a hurry, errors occur.....:

Although a novel, does author say anything about flags?

Author says that one sailor made a flag from signal jacks of SMS Viribus Unitis, but is not precise about the colors of that flag.

Well, that is (only partly) correct (re signal flags).

As a witness wrote when entering Pola harbour (on 6th November), he saw Croatian flags (and red on "Zrinyi) - as already stated before.

There should be no reason that the witness would describe unreal situation on anchorage.

In Horthy's memoirs there is no detail which flag(s) were hoisted after A-H Navy flags have been lowered.

Nas clan Evgenij poslao je ovu fotografiju brodova u bokokotorskom zaljevu neposredno nakon zavrsetka rata.
Iako se navodi da je zastava Kraljevine SHS, cetverobojna zastava dovodi u sumnju.
[attachment=1]

Od 1918. do 1922. vojnopomorska zastava KSHS doista je bila četverobojna. Crveno-bijelo-plavo-crvena.
Vidi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Yugoslav_flags

Hvala; na ovaj nacin je napravljen kompromis nekoliko zastava zajednice naroda Kraljevstva SHS.