 The Federal Diet had already adopted the German colours on 9 March 1848, but the Diet and also the Central Power forgot to announce the new flag to the foreign powers.By May 1850, the flag was recognized by the US, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sardinia, Turkey, Portugal, Naples, Spain, Greece and (conditionally) France.The reestablished German Confederation took over the fleet, but sold it in 1852 and did not make use of the German colours again until the 1860s.