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Schmidt firms (German Shipping Company)

Heinrich Schmidt
Wilhelm E. F. Schmidt
W. H. P. Schmidt(?)

See also:

Heinrich Schmidt

image by Jarig Bakker, 17 Feb 2005

Heinrich Schmidt, Flensburg - white flag, blue over red stripes in saltire.
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies, compiled by F.J.N. Wedge, Glasgow, 1926 [wed26]
Jarig Bakker, 17 Feb 2005

I just received the message below, together with 2 large .jpg files
about a picture of a clipper. If someone wants to have a look at the
images: please contact me off-list.

I have been searching to find the information on the house flag in the pictures. I learned about the signal flags and the north german flag. I'm trying to identify the ship.
Here is a description of the flags:
In top of the mainmast: white flag, a red and a blue stripe in saltire.
On the mast in front (dunno the name, sorry):
1. white penant, red disk (1)
2. swallowtail red hoist, blue fly (possibly discolored, A?)
3. blueflag bordered white (S)
4. red swallowtail (B)
5. tapering blue, yellow, red penant (North Germany?).
In front a black. white, red flag (Germany, old)
Michelle, 26 Jun 2008

Sounds like a ship making her number using Marryat's Code: Ist distinguishing pennant / 0 / 1 / 5 / 6
The list I have to hand gives 0156 as a vessel called 'Lorelei'. The use of the zero flag as the first one in the hoist was introduced about 1869. Marryat's code went out of use c.1880, so that would fit with the German ensign.
The house flag could be that of Heinrich Schmidt, out of Flensburg.
A book like Lloyd's Register of Shipping would confirm if Schmidt actually owned a vessel of that name.
Ian Sumner, 26 Jun 2008

Wilhelm E. F. Schmidt

image by Jorge Candeias, 22 Mar 1999

Wilhelm E. F. Schmidt GmbH - White with a blue horizontal stripe near the top and a red horizontal stripe near the bottom. In the center, the letters 'SCH' in black. The original image was too small to be sure, but it looks like the red stripe is about twice as wide as the blue one.
Jorge Candeias, 22 Mar 1999

W. H. P. Schmidt(?)

image and scan by Jorge Candeias, 29 Dec 2004

The flag is quartered per saltire with the top quarter black, the bottom quarter red and the other two white. In the center there's a white 5-pointed star, with a broad border that I think is blue (and here's the only element of doubt in the flag). On the white quarters two black seriffed initials W and S complete the design.
The caption reads W. H. P. Schmidt. There's some doubt here as well: the W could also ne an N.
Jorge Candeias, 29 Dec 2004