At least with the data I have pretty much it should be so:
- Early Type VII variants got a fixed flag pole on one side of the turm where the flag was attached/removed. Another one was present in the bow of the sub ( Mainly Type VIIA pre-war variants only ). Of these variants I have both images with fixed flag pole or with it removed and even with the flag pole housing ( Probably retro-fitted IMHO ) like on the VIIC. Hard to establish for sure what was the "
standard configuration ". ( As always happen when researching/being interested about WW2 German equipments
)
Sample ( Type VIIB with the fixed/welded flag pole [ U-45 ], 25 June 1938 the day it was put into service under the command of Kptlt. Alexander Gelhaar )
Sample Type VIIB, U-51, fixed flag pole detail
Sample Type VIIB, U-52, Memel, summer 1941, fixed/welded flag pole detail
- Starting from the VIIC there was a dedicated cilindrical housing for the flag pole ( or several depending, I guess, on field modifications ) so that the rod of the flag was removed after not needed anymore. You can see the flag housing very well in the Type VIIC close-up image below. ( ...and you can notice also a smaller one on the right side probably used for the pennants pole IMHO )
You can see more complex flag pole housings on later variants like the Type IX ( Check for example the pictures of the U-505 where you can notice a pretty elaborate flag pole housing composed at least of three parts, one in the upper part of the rail guard and one at the bottom of it, with in the middle, what seems to be, a blocking system for the flag pole ).
* Take in mind that I'm currently using a type VIIA that's why I've enabled the flag pole
