ARGO REEDEREI RICHARD ADLER & SÖHNE.

The Ships List dates the A181 funnel to 1897–1922, A344 to 1923–24, a plain buff funnel to 1925–32, and A14 from 1933. Merchant Ships instead gives A181 until about 1930. Rosanoski suggests that A344 may actually have been intended for Norddeutscher Lloyd. Ships & The Sea’s 1936 notice of A14’s adoption still uses the pre-merger name, so the change may date from the 1933 merger.

Brown 1995 and the Mobil Flag Chart show a broad funnel band, confirmed by photographs. Stewart gives a white star on both funnel and flag, supported by Jordan for the funnel. Nüsse shows a larger flag star, while Brown 1934, Talbot-Booth 1936 and Ships & The Sea 1936 place it towards the hoist. Rosanoski states that the Argo flag was retained throughout the corporate changes.

The company poster or pamphlet headed Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Co. places the star near the hoist, as does a company cup on which the star could be taken as white. Lloyds 1904 and 1912 also place the star towards the hoist, less markedly than A677. Brown 1926 gives a squat version and the 1929 portrayal is nearer the poster. Jan Mertens considers that the star’s shape evolved over time; the older poster differs from the later funnel star supported by Josef Nuesse. He leaves open whether the off-centre arrangement was the original version.

Mitchell’s A676 funnel may be intended as dark buff or yellow. Rosanoski finds no basis for a five-pointed star other than distant photographs in which the number of points is difficult to distinguish.