China Area Fleet
The China Area Fleet was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy organized after the Battle of Shanghai. It reported directly to the Imperial General Headquarters and had the same organizational level as the Combined Fleet. This article handles their predecessor fleet the Southern Qing Fleet, China Expeditionary Fleet and 1st/2nd Expeditionary Fleet also.
Organizations of the China Area Fleet and Subordinate Units
China Area Fleet
Structure (extract)
Commanders of the China Area Fleet
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Rokuzō Sugiyama | 20 October 1937 | Chief of staff of the 3rd Fleet |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral | Jin'ichi Kusaka | 25 April 1938 | Chief of staff of the 3rd Fleet |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral Vice-Admiral | Shigeyoshi Inoue | 23 October 1939 15 November 1939 | Chief of staff of the 3rd Fleet |
| 4 | Rear-Admiral Vice-Admiral | Denshichi Ōkawachi | 1 October 1940 15 November 1940 | |
| 5 | Vice-Admiral | Minoru Tayui | 16 March 1942 | |
| 6 | Vice-Admiral | Kanji Ugaki | 1 September 1943 | |
| 7 | Vice-Admiral | Naomasa Sakonju | 15 December 1944 |
1st China Expeditionary Fleet
The 1st China Expeditionary Fleet was reorganized from the 3rd Fleet on 15 November 1939. Their role was the guard of the coast in China at first, however, it changed for the guard in the down stream area of the Yangtze River. Describe 3rd Fleet, 1st China Expeditionary Fleet and successor unit the Yangtze River Area Base Force in this section.- Structure
Commander in chief 1st China Expeditionary Fleet and commander
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 9 | Vice-Admiral | Umatarō Tanimoto | 15 November 1939 | Commander of the 11th Division |
| 10 | Vice-Admiral | Boshirō Hosogaya | 15 November 1940 | |
| 11 | Vice-Admiral | Marquis Teruhisa Komatsu | 5 July 1941 | |
| 12 | Vice-Admiral | Kakusaburō Makita | 14 February 1942 | |
| 13 | Vice-Admiral | Yoshikazu Endō | 9 March 1943 | |
| 14 | Vice-Admiral | Ichirō Ōno | 20 August 1943 | |
| 15 | Vice-Admiral | Kōichirō Hatakeyama | 20 March 1944 | |
| 16 | Vice-Admiral | Torao Sawada | 21 November 1944 |
- Chief of staff
2nd China Expeditionary Fleet
- Structure
Commanders of the 5th Fleet
Commanders of the 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 3 | Vice-Admiral | Shirō Takasu | 15 November 1939 | |
| 4 | Vice-Admiral | Yorio Sawamoto | 15 October 1940 | |
| 5 | Vice-Admiral | Masaichi Niimi | 4 April 1941 | |
| 6 | Vice-Admiral | Kiyoshi Hara | 14 July 1942 | |
| 7 | Vice-Admiral | Daisuke Soejima | 21 June 1943 | |
| 8 | Vice-Admiral | Ruitarō Fujita | 25 April 1945 |
- Chief of staff
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Minoru Tayui | 1 February 1938 | |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral | Tamon Yamaguchi | 15 December 1938 | |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | Chūichi Hara | 15 November 1939 | |
| 4 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Yasuo Yasuba | 13 August 1941 15 October 1941 10 March 1942 | Commander of the Hong Kong Special Base Force |
| 5 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Chōzaemon Obata | 1 September 1942 1 November 1942 | Commander of the Hong Kong Special Base Force |
| 6 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Yuzuru Ōkuma | 19 October 1943 1 May 1944 | Commander of the Hong Kong Special Base Force |
3rd China Expeditionary Fleet
The 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet was reorganized from the 4th Fleet on 15 November 1939. The 4th Fleet was reinforcements for 3rd Fleet. Their role was the guard in Bohai Sea. Describe 4th Fleet and 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet in this section. The 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet was specialization to guard unit for Qingdao and become extinct.- Structure
Commanders of the 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 3 | Vice-Admiral | Naokuni Nomura | 15 November 1939 | |
| 4 | Vice-Admiral | Mitsumi Shimizu | 30 September 1940 | |
| 5 | Vice-Admiral | Rokuzō Sugiyama | 5 July 1941 | |
| 6 | Vice-Admiral | Shiro Kawase | 16 December 1941 |
- Chief of staff
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Masami Kobayashi | 20 October 1937 1 December 1937 | |
| 2 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Arata Oka | 1 September 1938 15 November 1938 | |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | Takeo Tada | 15 November 1939 | |
| 4 | Captain | Shigeji Kaneko | 8 August 1940 10 April 1941 | Commander of the Qingdao Area Special Base Force |
| 5 | Captain | Masaki Ogata | 24 May 1941 | Commander of the Qingdao Area Special Base Force |
| 6 | Captain | Morikazu Ōsugi | 20 August 1941 15 January 1942 | Commander of the Qingdao Area Special Base Force Commander of the Qingdao Area Special Base Force and Qingdao Guard Unit |
Organizations of pre-China Area Fleet
Describe about pre-China Area Fleet in this section. The Southern Qing Fleet, China Expeditionary Fleet, 1st Expeditionary Fleet and 2nd Expeditionary Fleet were ancestor of China Area Fleet.Southern Qing Fleet
The Southern Qing Fleet was organized after the Russo-Japanese War. They were reinforced by Xinhai Revolution in 1911, however, Beiyang Government declared neutrality in World War I. All gunboats were detained, and Southern Qing Fleet became extinct before long.- Structure
- Commander
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Kunikane Taketomi | 20 December 1905 | |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral | Chikataka Tamari | 22 November 1906 | |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral Vice-Admiral | Izō Teragaki | 22 November 1906 1 December 1909 | |
| 4 | Rear-Admiral | Reijirō Kawashima | 1 December 1910 | |
| 5 | Rear-Admiral Vice-Admiral | Matahachirō Nawa | 20 April 1912 1 December 1912 | |
| 6 | Rear-Admiral | Mitsukane Tsuchiya | 25 March 1914 | |
| 7 | Vice-Admiral | Takeshi Takarabe | 5 February 1915 |
- Chief of staff
China Expeditionary Fleet/1st Expeditionary Fleet
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| x | Vacant post | 1 December 1917 | ||
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Toyokazu Yamaoka | 15 December 1917 | |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral Vice-Admiral | Masujirō Yoshida | 8 November 1919 1 December 1920 | |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | Kenzō Kobayashi | 1 May 1922 | |
| 4 | Rear-Admiral | Kichisaburō Nomura | 15 September 1923 | |
| 5 | Rear-Admiral | Osami Nagano | 20 April 1925 | |
| 6 | Rear-Admiral | Jirō Araki | 20 August 1926 | |
| 7 | Rear-Admiral | Wataru Ugawa | 1 December 1927 | |
| 8 | Rear-Admiral | Mitsumasa Yonai | 10 December 1928 | |
| 9 | Rear-Admiral | Kōichi Shiozawa | 1 December 1930 | |
| 10 | Rear-Admiral | Tsuneyoshi Sakano | 6 June 1932 | |
| 11 | Rear-Admiral | Teijirō Sugisaka | 15 November 1933 | |
| 12 | Rear-Admiral | Masaharu Hibino | 2 December 1935 | |
| 13 | Rear-Admiral | Umatarō Tanimoto | 1 December 1936 | |
| 14 | Rear-Admiral | Eijirō Kondō | 1 December 1937 | |
| 15 | Rear-Admiral | Rokuzō Sugiyama | 15 December 1938 | |
| 16 | Vice-Admiral | Umatarō Tanimoto | 15 November 1939 | Commander in chief of the 1st China Expeditionary Fleet |
2nd Expeditionary Fleet
The 2nd Expeditionary Fleet was organized on 16 May 1927 for reinforcements for 1st Expeditionary Fleet. Their role was the guard of Northern China.- Structure
- Commander
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Susumu Nakajima | 16 May 1927 | |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral | Kin'ichi Mukōda | 1 April 1928 | |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | Kiyohiro Ijichi | 10 December 1928 | |
| 4 | Rear-Admiral | Shizue Tsuda | 21 May 1930 |