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Chinese Republic - Naval Ensign

Naval Ensign (1912-)
Unofficial Naval Ensign (1912)
The Naval Ensign (1942-1945)

Naval Ensign (1912-)

image by Miles Li, 21 March 2014

The naval ensign adopted was the red flag with the KMT [Nationalist China] flag used in the canton. This flag is the same flag as posted to the FOTW web site as the Republic of China national flag. The Royal Navy Signaling Handbook, of 1913, shows this flag as the only naval flag for China at that time. Also, there are several editions of Jane's Fighting Ships 1919 & 1925 & 1927 and according to the post of Mr. Glen Robert-Grant Hodgins, he confirms the claim in the 1919 as well as the 1930 editions. However, the 1930 edition may have been a roll-over from a couple of years earlier.
C. Eugene Baldwin, 06 December 1998

Naval flags were adopted on August 1st, 1912 (see the official gazette: http://gaz.ncl.edu.tw/detail.jsp?sysid=E10D4656 in Chinese)
Akira Oyo, 30 March 2014

Unofficial Naval Ensign (1912)

image by Miles Li, 13 September 2014

"But for the naval flag designs: before their enactment in Shanghai, the naval crews have already self-made three flags: white with a canton in red, and at the centre of the red is a yellow disc; after the enactment in Shanghai, these flags have become unsuitable for naval ships."
Source: Government Gazette (16 May 1912, No.16, Page 555):
惟海軍旗式上海未製定以前海軍人員已自行製定三面色白而一角色紅其紅心之中又有黃點上海製定後海軍軍艦以此旗為未合
It is obvious that this flag was inspired by the British White Ensign, with the then house flag of China Merchants Steam Navigation Company in the canton - clear evidence of how the house flag, mistaken as the Chinese merchant ensign by the West, led to it being mistaken as a Chinese national flag even among the Chinese themselves!
Miles Li, 13 September 2014

The Naval Ensign (1942-1945 - Japanese Puppet State)

image by Miles Li, 22 March 2014

Chinese Naval Ensign adopted on May 1st 1942.
The red ensign charged with white sun on blue sky in canton and white cross.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 13 December 2009

It was the naval ensign of Nanjing Puppet State.
Akira Oyo, 06 April 2014