I like the solid center on the left because it looks like an alligator with a tongue.
The Union Forever: A TL
- Thread starter Mac Gregor
- Start date
If you give just the tongue a yellow trim, it'll look like the alligator is shooting flames from its mouth.
Heh. I think I'll pass on that for now. At least Wales wouldn't be alone in having a dragon-based flag. (They're the only one I know of currently in use, at least.)
Edit: Here are a few more different styles: one with the three pointed start, and one with no star.
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Hey Mac Gregor, i've been reading for the past few days and i've gotta say this is my favorite piece of work on the website so far. What i'm really interested to know is if you could post an entry detailing all of the accomplishments by each country in the space race. At this point in time i've sort of lost track and don't really remember who did what.
Hurricane force? Swallowtail flags are found most common among naval ensigns OTL; Many of the Nordic countries use them. The conditions they experience are harsher than on land. There would be the benefit of not requiring nearly as much wind to hold them aloft, which would reduce snapback on the pole and probably extend the life of the grommets used to hold it aloft, as the flag is missing about half of its area that would normally catch the wind.
If I was accurate, the tail would have been a lot longer, which means the flag would have approached the length of a naval paying-off pennant. While an interesting concept, that wouldn't be practical giving the length of it. However, the use of a normal pennant would also be interesting.
EDIT: Granted, the edges could be bezeled between the swallowtails and the tongue. That, combined with a slight curve being given to the top and bottom edges might bring the whole look together. Or it could be done with all straight edges. It's up to Mac.
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Excellent designs, I will compile a few versions and call for a vote. Cheers!
Thanks for the support! Give me a day or two and I'll do a space race compilation. Let me know if you have any other questions/requests.
Profile: Alfred von Tripitz
Alfred von Tripitz (1849-1933)
The man who later became known as the "Father of the German Navy" was born in 1849 in Kurstin, Brandenburg. Tirpitz the Prussian Navy in 1865 to serve with a fellow friend During his service Tripitz served the Navy with much enthusiasm and exemplary performance that was quite uncommon at the time for the much neglected half of the Prussian military. In 1877-1888 Tirpitz would come to head Prussian research and development for torpedoes Prussia's growing fleet of torpedo boats, a time he would reflect warmly as "the eleven best years of my life". In 1890 he was soon made Chief of Staff for the Prussian Navy at the rank of Captain. During this time Tirpitz ran into much frustration as every one of his attempts to strengthen the Prussian Navy or expand the usage of Battleships was repeatedly ignored or blocked by Prussian high command and Kaiser Fredrick III. His only vocal supporter was then Crown Prince Wilhelm, both of whom met at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1887 and would later become good friends. In 1895 Tirpitz was seriously considering leaving the Prussian Navy when he got a promotion to Rear Admiral and was sent on an assignment to serve as the Prussian Naval attache to the United States Department of the Navy to observe American Naval strategy and look for any methods to improve Prussian Naval power. While there Tripitz was attached to observe Alfred Mahan, a man who Tirpitz idolized for his theories in "The Influence of Sea Power". From 1895-1901 Mahan would come to mentor his Prussian comrade, teaching on how to improve Prussia's miniscule Navy and how a nation should wage naval warfare in the modern age and on the global scale, in return Tripitz would often engage in friendly debates upon America's naval power and would time from time offer his insight on naval strategy. In these years both naval officers would develop a life-long friendship and Mahan would give Tripitz a gift of an autographed copy of his signature novel. In 1901 Tirpitz would be recalled to Berlin and be promoted to Vice Admiral. This time Kaiser Fredrick was more open-minded on naval power due to France's increased naval superiority within the North Sea. Tripitz was then given a free hand to strenghten and modernize the Prussian Navy, making it a regional power.
At the outbreak of The Great War in 1907 Tripitz was promoted to Admiral and head of the Prussian Navy. After Italy's surrender Tirpitz was responsible for preventing a total French Blockade of the Baltic and a naval invasion of Prussia. Tirpitz was succesfful in protecting Germany by winning the battles of Heligoland Bright (1907), Skagerrak, and fighting the French to a standstill at the Battle of Jutland (1908). Tirpitz is most known for during the war for developing Prussian U-boat strategy and causing the successful sinking of dozens of French naval ships and commercial vessels during the war. After America and Britain's entry into the war, Prussia was allowed to go on the offensive. Tirpitz would later come to the aid of the British personally at the Battle of Dowager Bank by leading the Prussian reinforcements at the last moment. Afterwords Tirpitz would lead the surface naval fleet to combat the French in the North Sea, meanwhile attaching the Prussian U-boat fleet to the British Armada in the Atlantic. After the war Tirpitz was awarded with promotion to German nobility and promotion to Grand Admiral, head of the new German Federal Navy. While attending the Treaty of Brussels Tirpitz would once more meet his mentor who had become U.S secretary of the Navy, upon meeting von Tirpitz, Mahan would come to remark "You did a damn good job Alfred". During the postwar years Tirpitz would come to strengthen the German Navy to a World power by modernizing the fleet and creating an armada of Battleships and Battlecruisers, along with the development of Germany's fearsome Submarine fleet "The Wolf Pack", a task that was immensely supported with the influence of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1914. During these years von Tirpitz would come to create his famous "Risk Theory", based on the teachings of his mentor, von Tripitz would state in his theory that should any fleet reach global naval supremacy, it would then have the power to cause signifigant damage in any engagement, this sufficient damage was cause a naval power to be unable to maintain its commitments and suffer irreparable harm, thus no such force would want to enter into a confrontation. Retiring in 1925 von Tirpitz would later spend the rest of his years writing memoirs and naval thesis until his death in 1933. His greatest legacy was the Imperial German Navy, who took von Tirpitz's teachings of the Risk Theorum to heart and strove to maintain a global presence to deter armed conflict with the Fatherland. Many German naval vessels would come to be named after the Grand Admiral, the most famous ship being the SMS Alfred von Tirpitz, the first German Aircraft Carrier. Today a statue of von Tirpitz stands outside the Imperial Naval Academy in Kiel, inscribed with the naval motto "Peace through strength"
The man who later became known as the "Father of the German Navy" was born in 1849 in Kurstin, Brandenburg. Tirpitz the Prussian Navy in 1865 to serve with a fellow friend During his service Tripitz served the Navy with much enthusiasm and exemplary performance that was quite uncommon at the time for the much neglected half of the Prussian military. In 1877-1888 Tirpitz would come to head Prussian research and development for torpedoes Prussia's growing fleet of torpedo boats, a time he would reflect warmly as "the eleven best years of my life". In 1890 he was soon made Chief of Staff for the Prussian Navy at the rank of Captain. During this time Tirpitz ran into much frustration as every one of his attempts to strengthen the Prussian Navy or expand the usage of Battleships was repeatedly ignored or blocked by Prussian high command and Kaiser Fredrick III. His only vocal supporter was then Crown Prince Wilhelm, both of whom met at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1887 and would later become good friends. In 1895 Tirpitz was seriously considering leaving the Prussian Navy when he got a promotion to Rear Admiral and was sent on an assignment to serve as the Prussian Naval attache to the United States Department of the Navy to observe American Naval strategy and look for any methods to improve Prussian Naval power. While there Tripitz was attached to observe Alfred Mahan, a man who Tirpitz idolized for his theories in "The Influence of Sea Power". From 1895-1901 Mahan would come to mentor his Prussian comrade, teaching on how to improve Prussia's miniscule Navy and how a nation should wage naval warfare in the modern age and on the global scale, in return Tripitz would often engage in friendly debates upon America's naval power and would time from time offer his insight on naval strategy. In these years both naval officers would develop a life-long friendship and Mahan would give Tripitz a gift of an autographed copy of his signature novel. In 1901 Tirpitz would be recalled to Berlin and be promoted to Vice Admiral. This time Kaiser Fredrick was more open-minded on naval power due to France's increased naval superiority within the North Sea. Tripitz was then given a free hand to strenghten and modernize the Prussian Navy, making it a regional power.
At the outbreak of The Great War in 1907 Tripitz was promoted to Admiral and head of the Prussian Navy. After Italy's surrender Tirpitz was responsible for preventing a total French Blockade of the Baltic and a naval invasion of Prussia. Tirpitz was succesfful in protecting Germany by winning the battles of Heligoland Bright (1907), Skagerrak, and fighting the French to a standstill at the Battle of Jutland (1908). Tirpitz is most known for during the war for developing Prussian U-boat strategy and causing the successful sinking of dozens of French naval ships and commercial vessels during the war. After America and Britain's entry into the war, Prussia was allowed to go on the offensive. Tirpitz would later come to the aid of the British personally at the Battle of Dowager Bank by leading the Prussian reinforcements at the last moment. Afterwords Tirpitz would lead the surface naval fleet to combat the French in the North Sea, meanwhile attaching the Prussian U-boat fleet to the British Armada in the Atlantic. After the war Tirpitz was awarded with promotion to German nobility and promotion to Grand Admiral, head of the new German Federal Navy. While attending the Treaty of Brussels Tirpitz would once more meet his mentor who had become U.S secretary of the Navy, upon meeting von Tirpitz, Mahan would come to remark "You did a damn good job Alfred". During the postwar years Tirpitz would come to strengthen the German Navy to a World power by modernizing the fleet and creating an armada of Battleships and Battlecruisers, along with the development of Germany's fearsome Submarine fleet "The Wolf Pack", a task that was immensely supported with the influence of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1914. During these years von Tirpitz would come to create his famous "Risk Theory", based on the teachings of his mentor, von Tripitz would state in his theory that should any fleet reach global naval supremacy, it would then have the power to cause signifigant damage in any engagement, this sufficient damage was cause a naval power to be unable to maintain its commitments and suffer irreparable harm, thus no such force would want to enter into a confrontation. Retiring in 1925 von Tirpitz would later spend the rest of his years writing memoirs and naval thesis until his death in 1933. His greatest legacy was the Imperial German Navy, who took von Tirpitz's teachings of the Risk Theorum to heart and strove to maintain a global presence to deter armed conflict with the Fatherland. Many German naval vessels would come to be named after the Grand Admiral, the most famous ship being the SMS Alfred von Tirpitz, the first German Aircraft Carrier. Today a statue of von Tirpitz stands outside the Imperial Naval Academy in Kiel, inscribed with the naval motto "Peace through strength"
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Great article Kaiser Chris! I can see that you paid close attention to the TL, thanks for contributing. A few thoughts
1) I would be interesting to hear more about the Battles of Heligoland Bight, Skagerrak, and Jutland. I would imagine that these are relatively small engagements as France's Navy was significantly more powerful than Prussia's.
2) The naval forces for the German Empire are called the Imperial German Navy in English and Kaiserliche Marine, "Imperial Navy" in German.
3) Due to butterflies I recommend altering/renaming Mahan's "Influence of Sea Power" and Turpin's "Risk Theory" as it is probably to close to OTL.
1) I would be interesting to hear more about the Battles of Heligoland Bight, Skagerrak, and Jutland. I would imagine that these are relatively small engagements as France's Navy was significantly more powerful than Prussia's.
2) The naval forces for the German Empire are called the Imperial German Navy in English and Kaiserliche Marine, "Imperial Navy" in German.
3) Due to butterflies I recommend altering/renaming Mahan's "Influence of Sea Power" and Turpin's "Risk Theory" as it is probably to close to OTL.
