Description

Signal flags are used to communicate messages visually when other methods of communication are either unavailable or undesirable. These flashcards detail the names and meanings for both International and Naval signal flags. Each flashcard has a picture of a flag of the US Navy or International code on the front. On the reverse side we have listed the signal letter or number, phonetic spelling and the meaning of the signal flag.

Flags are used for signaling in several ways:

A message can be spelled out letter by letter using letter and number flags.
Individual flags have specific meaning. For example, a vessel flying the ‘D’ flag is advising other vessels that it is maneuvering with difficulty and you should keep clear.
One or more flags form a code word whose meaning can be looked up in a code book held by both parties.
In yacht racing and dinghy racing, flags have other meanings; for example, the ‘P’ flag is used as the “Preparatory” flag to indicate an imminent start, and the ‘S’ flag means “Shortened course”.