Dear garlicdesign. I just read your comment on the flag question. Since I'm from Europe, and thus have experienced the surge of Neo-Nazism and radical rightwing groups, I understand your concern and will respect it, though I do not agree with your opinion about not using a historically significant emblem of a nation (the flag). It is sad that also the Imperial flag has been approbriated by these nasty, shady groups, but, if I'd agree with your view (which I do, however, respect!), the national flag of my home country, Sweden, would never have been able to be used, since, especially from the 1970s or maybe even earlier, this symbol was hijacked by Sweden's own right wing nutters. At one time (I believe this was mid-1980s!?) there was no flag on display in the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament)! At school graduation we were banned from waving the flag (though it wa hoisted on a pole), since it could cause "sensibilities" among certain groups in society. Anyway, suffice to say, soon enough a popular movement started to reclaim what was theirs with full force, and now Swedes can be proud of their flag - again.
As for the German Imperial ensign, and its civilian flag, the black, red and white tricolor, that question and the answer remains much more controversial and difficult, I admit, but still there's a general consensus that, while largely imperfect, and, from the 1890s on a militaristic path, and with a general antisemitic sentiment within the populace, this was also largely true of all the major (and quite a few minor!) nations and empires of the day; not least France and Britain! Therefore, my own conclusion is that showing the German colors as they were from 1871-1919, is possible and not in conflict with either moral scruples or in violence of any national laws (which the display of the national colors of 1935-45 can be, especially in Germany itself!).
But, as I already stated at the beginning: I respect your disinclination of displaying them, but do not, I ask you, forbid members from adding them to their private copies, if they so desire. Whether they should or can be shown on a public, historic online orum, or in any publication (yes, they are that good, my friend, that, one day, someone might ask to use them in a publication!) I leave to legal experts and privat negotiations between requester and artist to be resolved.
But, in conclusion: absolutely marvelous cretions of surely one of the handsomest classes of men-o'-war ever built!
_________________ My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen
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