US Flag for Antarctic Territory

US Antarctic Territorial Flag

This flag represents US Territorial Claims in Antarctica.  The star field belongs to the Greatest Generation, which only has 48 stars instead of the modern 50.  The 48 starred American Flag was flown during WWI, WWII, and also used as a Naval Jack.

The field is divided like a Scandinavian Cross into thirteen parts.  Three horizontal red stripes are crossed with three vertical red stripes.

Likewise there are two horizontal white stripes balanced with two other vertical white stripes.  Thus there are total of ten stripes.

But then, three white fields tally up the field area into thirteen zones.  In each white field is a single blue star which makes up the most southern constellation - Octans the Star Compass.   Finally in the center of crossed stripes is an eight pointed star in honor of the most southern star on the Celestial Sphere.