The straight-armed Balkenkreuz was the emblem of the World War II Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces) and its branches: Heer (Army), Luftwaffe (Air Force), and Kriegsmarine (Navy). The Iron Cross used by today`s German Bundeswehr unified defense forces inherits the four white, or lighter-colored, `flanks` of the older Balkenkreuz that do not `cap... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkenkreuz