High End Replica Items: Only One Lot of 2 Available. These are very well constructed and hand painted replica canvas / cotton wall hangers/flags “attributed” to the US Navy Gato-Class Submarines, USS Jack (SS-259) and USS Puffer (SS-268).

USS Jack Flag: The flag features a Crevalle Jack fish wearing a white with red stripes sweater sailor cap, boxing gloves and smoking a cigar. To the right are small Japanese flags signifying the total victories. At the bottom is USS JACK.

USS Puffer Flag: The flag features a puffer fish wearing a sailors cap carrying a torpedo in arm. At the top of the flag is PUFFER with 8 stars beneath it.

These are not Disney animation studio images, but they were heavily influenced by them.

By the time America entered WWII, Disney animations had proven themselves as true feature-length films with box-office toppers like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Dumbo. Disney’s animated shorts had already gained immense popularity to the point where Mickey Mouse was depicted on the patch of a Naval Reserve Squadron.

Although unsanctioned by Disney, the pre-war patch started a trend that exploded across the military during WWII. In fact, Disney had to dedicate five artists to the full-time task of filling requests for military insignias. The Navy in particular had a fondness for
incorporating Disney characters into its insignias.

These are incredible, museum quality replicas that would display wonderfully in any WWII US Navy collections. Comes more than ready for display!

The tradition of submarine battle flags began during WWII when subs returning from patrol would fly flags representing ships sunk, total tonnage, or a broom indicating a “clean sweep” (meaning that every target engaged was destroyed). Toward the end of the war the crews started making flags specific to their boat with a logo and sewn patches indicating ships sunk, the number of patrols, pilots rescued, citations received, etc.

Battle flags in World War II kept an unofficial record of the number of ships a submarine sank. Warships were represented by the rising sun version of the Japanese flag, while the merchant vessels were represented by the "meatball" flags. The submarine's logo was also featured on the flag. The difficulties in assessing actual damage from attacks on the enemy led many submarines to overestimate their successes. After the war, an Allied naval review board discovered inaccuracies as great as thirty percent during an examination of Japanese losses credited to American submarines.

USS Jack (SS-259)
USS Jack (SS-259), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the jack (any of various fishes—young pike, green pike or pickerel, or large California rockfish).

Jack was credited with sinking 76,687 tons of Japanese shipping. In addition to her Presidential Unit Citation (US), Jack received seven battle stars for World War II service. All patrols, except for her second and ninth, were designated successful.

USS Puffer (SS-268)
USS Puffer (SS-268), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the puffer.

Puffer was laid down by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on 16 February 1942; launched on 21 November 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Ruth B. Lyons, granddaughter of the oldest employee at Manitowoc Shipbuilding, Christian Jacobson, Sr.; and commissioned on 27 April 1943, Lieutenant Commander Marvin John Jensen in command.