The number of signals which can be made by permutations of 18 flags, no flag being used more than once in the same hoist, is as follows:—
| One-flag signals | 18 | |
| Two-flag signals | 306 | |
| Three-flag signals | 4,896 | |
| Four-flag signals | 73,440 | |
| ——— | ||
| Total | 78,660 |
The number of signals actually provided in the old Code which can be made by the Code flags is:—
| One-flag signals | 4 | |
| Two-flag signals | 215 | |
| Three-flag signals about | 4,500 | |
| (a) Four-flag signals, excluding those | } | |
| representing the names of places | } | |
| and ships, about | 8,700 } | |
| (b) Four-flag signals representing the | } | 29,600 |
| names of places, about | 3,400 } | |
| (c) Four-flag signals representing the | } | |
| names of ships, about | 17,500 } | |
| ——— | ||
| Total about | 34,319 |
The following is the number of signals which can be made by means of the 26 flags which we have adopted, no flag being used more than once in the same hoist:—
| One-flag signals | 26 | |
| Two-flag signals | 650 | |
| Three-flag signals | 15,600 | |
| Four-flag signals | 358,800 | |
| ———- | ||
| Total | 375,076 |
Moreover, by using the Code pennant over and under one or two flags of the Code, the following additional signals made by not more than three flags are obtainable:—
| Code Pennant over one flag | 26 | |
| Code Pennant under one flag | 26 | |
| Code Pennant over two flags | 650 | |
| Code Pennant under two flags | 650 | |
| ——- | ||
| Total | 1,352 |
It will therefore be seen that by the adoption of the eight additional flags, many of the more important signals which have at present to be made by three-flag hoists can be converted into two-flag signals, and that all the four-flag signals (excluding those representing the names of places and of ships) in the old Code can be made by three-flag signals, while between 3,000 and 4,000 new signals to be made by hoists of not more than three flags can be added.