Defense Minister's Flag 1933-1935
Flagge des Reichswehrministers

This was a square flag with an Iron Cross on a black-white-red, square tricolour with a broad white (inside) and a narrow black (outside) border. Used 1933 to 1935. A black and white version is given in Davis 1975.

Flag of the War Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces 5th October 1935 - 4th February 1938
Flagge des Reichskriegsministers und Oberbefehshaber der Wehrmacht

A red square flag with a black-white-black bordered white disk with a black-white bordered swastika � thus similar in effect to the ensign but with a centered disk. In the 1st and 4th field a white-black-white bordered black Iron Cross, in the 2nd and 3rd a white bordered black Nazi National Eagle. In use 5 October 1935 to 4 February 1938. Davis 1975, p. 83.
This flag was used by Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg from 1935 until his dismissal from office in 1938. At that time the office of War Minister was abolished and most of its administrative functions were assumed by the new Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) under Colonel-General (later Field Marshal) Wilhelm Keitel. A new flag was introduced for Keitel's use; when he was promoted to Field Marshal. Hitler himself took over as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Flag of the Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces 1938-1941
Flagge des Chefs des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht (OKW)



A black-white bordered red swallow-tailed flag, at the center a white disk with an inner black-white-black border, in the center of the disk a black-white bordered black swastika. Illustrated in Flaggenbuch 1939, pl. VI and Davis 1975, p. 83. Adopted 1938. Not used after 1941.
In 1938 Hitler assumed the powers of the War Minister after dismissing Field Marshal von Blomberg from that post and reorganizing the Ministry into the High Command of the Armed Forces � Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW. That is why the previous flag was abolished in 1938. This flag and the following were used by Colonel-General �from 1941 Field Marshal� Keitel as Chief of the OKW.

Flag of a Field Marshal as Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces 1941-1945
Flagge eines Generalfeldmarschalls als Chefs des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht (OKW)



Same as [the 1938 flag] with crossed marshal's batons with a gold Nazi Party type eagle superimposed. Illustrated in Flaggenbuch 1939, pl. Vb (color) and Davis 1975, p. 46 (black and white). Adopted 1941.

Command Flag for Armed Forces Commanders
Kommandoflagge f�r Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber

Square flag, with concentric equal width squares, black-white-red, with silver a Nazi party type eagle carrying a wreath containing a swastika on the red square. On the bottom of the red square, the word Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber.

Command Flag for Military Governors
Kommandoflagge f�r Milit�rbefehlshaber

Square flag with concentric fields of equal width of black-white-red. On red square, silver Nazi national eagle, with swastika in its talons. Below the swastika, the words Milit�rbefehlshaber.

It should perhaps be noted that a Milit�rbefehlshaber was the regional governor of the occupied territories (see also my Third Reich Factbook) that were under the control of the Wehrmacht: 

Milit�rbefehlshaber Belgien und Nordfrankreich (in Br�ssel) 
Milit�rbefehlshaber Frankreich (in Paris) 
Milit�rbefehlshaber Saloniki-�g�is 
Milit�rbefehlshaber Serbien (in Belgrad) 
Milit�rbefehlshaber S�dgriechenland 
A Milit�rbefehlshaber was a military governor (a general) of the occupied territories that were under military control (the ones I listed above), that is he was head of the civilian administration, police etc. Whereas a Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber was �if I remember correctly� the higher military commander of the military units in a certain area (regardless of whether this area was controlled by a Milit�rbefehlshaber or not), for example the Netherlands or Hungary.