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Naval Rank Flags (Taiwan)

Last modified: 2020-07-11 by ian macdonald
Keywords: rank flag: navy | taiwan |
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Commander-in-Chief of the Navy 1958-1962

[Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 02 April 2014

Proportions: approximately 5:8
Blue flag with yellow border and in the center two white cabled anchors in saltire in the top white lined blue disk with white sun. This flag is not shown in Flaggenbuch (probably the position was created later then that). However, I have assumed that the shape of the anchors is equal to the Flaggenbuch pattern. In Album the anchors and cables are somewhat cruder.
Željko Heimer, 4 February 2003

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy 1958-1962

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 02 April 2014

Proportions: approximately 5:8
As commander, but with yellow borders only along the top and the bottom.
Željko Heimer, 4 February 2003

Fleet Commander 1960-62

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 02 April 2014

Deputy Fleet Commander 1960-62

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 02 April 2014

Commander-in-Chief of the Navy 1962-1972

[Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 02 April 2014

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy 1962-1972

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 02 April 2014

Fleet Commander 1962-72

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 02 April 2014

Deputy Fleet Commander 1962-72

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 02 April 2014

Commanader-in-Chief of the Navy 1972-2007, Commanding General of the Navy, 2007-

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 04 April 2014

Deputy Commanader-in-Chief of the Navy 1972-1986

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 04 April 2014

Flag of Deputy Commanader-in-Chief of the Navy was abolished in early 1986 (Jan. 3rd, 1986) as Act of Ensign of the ROC Armed Forces adopted.
Akira Oyo, 04 April 2014

Fleet Commander 1972-1986

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 04 April 2014

Flag of Fleet Commander was abolished in early 1986 (Jan. 3rd, 1986) as Act of Ensign of the ROC Armed Forces adopted.
Akira Oyo, 04 April 2014

Deputy Fleet Commander 1972-1986

[Deputy Commander in chief of the navy]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 04 April 2014

Flag of  Deputy Fleet Commander was abolished in early 1986 (Jan. 3rd, 1986) as Act of Ensign of the ROC Armed Forces adopted.
Akira Oyo, 04 April 2014

Senior Admiral 1959-

[Taiwanese Senior Admiral Rank Flag] 2:3
image by Miles Li, 30 March 2014

Admiral 1929-

[Taiwanese Admiral Rank Flag] 2:3
image by Miles Li, 30 March 2014

Description: This flag is listed in the 1919 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships. It consists of the canton of the Taiwan flag. The 1930 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships shows a similar Admiral rank flag with a thin horizontal stripe running across the top edge of the flag.
Glen Robert-Grant Hodgins, 30 March 1998

The former rank flag was the KMT flag. Thus, the adoption of this flag as the jack, necessitated a modification to the Admiral's Rank Flag. This was accomplished by adding a narrow red stripe along the topmost edge of the existing flag.
Note: A story told to me many years ago involved the selection of the Chinese Nationalist jack and the admiral rank flag went something to this effect. Several Admirals complained to Chain Kai-Shek about taking all the admiral flags for jacks and they were left without the highest naval rank flag. So until more flags were approved and manufactured, the admirals would be undistinguished by an approved rank flag. To which he (Chain Kai-shek) replied by grabbing a Vice-Admiral's flag nearby and turning it upside down saying "Admiral behold your newly approved rank flag." This may explain why all the remaining flags were changed to include red stripes in some manner.
C. Eugene Baldwin, 9 December 1998

Blue flag with white sun in the middle and red stripe along the top. While the Flaggenbuch provides complex construction sheet, it may well be described very simply, and I don't think even an image is necessary.
The overall sun diameter (including rays) is 2/3 of the hoist, and is set in the center of the flag. The stripe width is equal to 1/11 of the hoist. This construction of the other rank flags is analogue. For the swallow-tailed flags, the indentation is half the hoist deep, the sun is in the midpoint between hoist and top of the blue indentation. For squadron commander see further on.
I believe that the construction details have not been changed since, however, the Album does not entirely follow them - the sun is everywhere made smaller (about 55% of hoist instead of ~67%). Also the sun does not retain the mid-flag position, but rather it is centered in the blue field. I am inclined to think that this is an oversight rather then news. Is it not?
Željko Heimer, 5 February 2003

Vice-Admiral 1912-

[Taiwanese Vice Admiral Rank Flag] 2:3
image by Miles Li, 30 March 2014

This flag is the same as the Admiral's Flag with the exception that the narrow red stripe is along the bottom edge. This flag is the same as its predecessor in the former regime and the above story may indicate why there was no change. I do not know.
C. Eugene Baldwin, 10 December 1998

Blue flag with white sun in the middle and red stripe along the bottom.
Željko Heimer, 5 February 2003

Rear-Admiral 1912-

[Taiwanese Rear Admiral Rank Flag] 2:3
image by Miles Li, 30 March 2014

Here again, the KMT Flag is used by the addition of a narrow red stripe along the edge at the top and bottom. This flag would be used from 1913 and be re-adopted by the Nationalist in 1928.
C. Eugene Baldwin, 10 December 1998

Blue flag with white sun in the middle and red stripes along both the top and the bottom.
Željko Heimer, 5 February 2003

Commodore 1928-1986 (position abolished)

[Commodore rank flag, 1928-1986]
image by Miles Li, 31 March 2014

Swallow-tailed flag, blue with white sun and red stripe along the fly indentation.
Željko Heimer, 5 February 2003

It was also used in Taiwan, ROC abolished the rank in 1956, but removed this flag from the Act in early 1986. That is, it was abolished de facto in 1956 and de jure in 1986.
Akira Oyo, 29-31 March 2014

Battle Fleet Leader (1958-1986)

[Senior Officer Afloat Rank Flag] 1:2
image by Miles Li, 31 March 2014

Blue broad-pennant with red edges along top and bottom and the white sun in the middle.
The image in Album is rather close to 9:14 instead of the indicated 2:3. This flag is apparently a new one (introduced when?), and as it does not appear in the Flaggenbuch I can only speculate on the construction sheet from the Album. I made it swallow-tailed half the hoist indented and distance between the fly tips 2/3 of hoist. No doubt the edge stripes are as wide as in the higher rank flags (1/11 of hoist). Also, the sun is similarly set in the middle between the hoist and the top of fly indentation. The sun diameter (together with rays) can't be 2/3 of hoist, as in admiral's flags, but setting it to 2/3 of the flag vertical size at the center-point of the sun makes it fairly similar to the Album image. However, the sun in this image is just as high as in the other rank flags shown in Album - though this is in disagreement with the Flaggenbuch - it may be possible explanation.
Željko Heimer, 6 February 2003

Battle Fleet Leader was adopted in 1958 de facto and in early 1986 de jure.
Akira Oyo, 01 April 2014

Senior Officer Afloat

[Senior Officer Afloat Rank Flag] 2:3
image by Miles Li, 31 March 2014

The senior officer rank flag would be the same as the Commodore, except for the narrow red stripe along the bottom edge. It was was unchanged and includes the red stripe same as the Vice-Admiral but is swallowtail/forked.
Eugene Baldwin, 10 December 1998

Blue swallow-tailed flag with white sun in the middle and red stripe along the bottom.
The same pattern as the Commodore's flag, the stripe at bottom as usual 1/11 of hoist wide
Željko Heimer, 6 February 2003

It was adopted on August 1st, 1912 and still flown on ROC Naval ships.
Akira Oyo, 31 March 2014

Captain 1986 - circa 1992 (de facto)

[Taiwanese Naval Captain Rank Flag]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 12 July 2014

This flag is meant to be flown on land (like the similar-looking Army/Marine/Air Force rank flags), but not on vessels.
Miles Li, 28 March 2004

Captain (de jure since 1986, de facto since circa 1992)

[Taiwanese Naval Captain Rank Flag]
image by Akira Oyo and Miles Li, 12 July 2014

References

Flaggenbuch (Flg.B.). Bearbeitet und herausgegeben vom Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine. Abgesclossen am 1. December 1939
Album des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives / National flags and distinctive markings