Chinese Imperial Naval Rank Flags (1905)

Last modified: 2015-04-04 by zoltán horváth
Keywords: china | chinese empire | naval rank flags | dragon |
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• Rank Flags, 1905
• Minister of Navy
• Fleet Commander
• Squadron Commander
• Commodore
• Leader

See also:

• Qing Dynasty: Beiyang Fleet, 1894-1895
• Imperial Chinese Navy Flags (1909)
• Bibliography on Chinese Flags for works cited on this page
• China

Rank Flags, 1905

These flags are for officers of the Imperial Chinese Navy. Note that the Chinese titles listed in Flaggenbuch, 1905 [ruh05] were not correct at the time of its publication, and I have included the correct Chinese title below.
Miles Li, 20 March 2001

Minister of Navy - considered equivalent to Admiral

Six horizontal stripes, blue-white-yellow-red-green-black, with a Chinese dragon in blue in the white rectangle at the centre of the flag.
Miles Li, 20 March 2001

Fleet Commander - considered equivalent to Vice Admiral

image by Miles Li and Mario Fabretto, 23 September 2014

Five horizontal stripes, blue-white-yellow-red-green, with a Chinese dragon in blue in the white rectangle at the centre of the flag.
Miles Li, 20 March 2001

Squadron Commander - considered equivalent to Rear Admiral

image by Miles Li and Mario Fabretto, 23 September 2014

Similar to vice admiral, but dragon in the white canton.
Miles Li, 20 March 2001

Commodore

Commodore: I don't think this rank actually existed, but the flag was reported to be four horizontal stripes, black-white-yellow-red, with a Chinese dragon in blue in the white canton.
Miles Li, 20 March 2001

Leader - considered equivalent to Senior Naval Officer

Swallow-tailed, four horizontal stripes, red-yellow-green-white.
Miles Li, 20 March 2001