Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very interesting large multi-piece construction German WWII Swas (hook cross) identification flag, used for Panzer tanks and other vehicles. It measures approximately 58 x 64 inches, and has the standard NSDAP Swas (Hook Cross) dyed / printed onto a circular white field. This was then sewn onto the red cotton body of the flag. The flag is single sided, and was originally larger in size, as the red field has been cut off on either side of the central insignia. We would assume it was probably at least 80 inches long, definitely a very large ID flag.

It still retains two brass plated steel rivets on reinforced gussets on either side of the center, and it probably originally had them on the corners that were on the removed sections. These would have been attached to tension lines that secured the flag to the back of the tank laying flat. Thereby the flag was only visible to persons located above the tank. Generally these flags were intended to be seen by German airplanes so as not to be struck by friendly fire.

Overall condition is very good, showing some wear and staining to the fabric from storage and use. The colors are still vibrant, with some age toning to the white circle. Most German tanks were destroyed during combat, so very few of these flags remained at the end of the war and most known examples were directly removed from tanks by USGIs in the field, resulting in them being quite worn, and also often missing material, such as this example. We unfortunately do not have any history with this flag, but it definitely is a large size that would have been used on a tank, so we can see it being cut off by a USGI.

Comes ready for further research and to display!