The 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 , and also.
Organizations of the China Area Fleet and Subordinate Units China Area Fleet Structure (extract) Date Higher unit Lower units, vessels and elements 20 October 1937 (original) Imperial General Headquarters 3rd Fleet, 4th Fleet,1st Carrier Division, 2nd Carrier Division, 3rd Carrier Division, 1st Combined Air Group, 2nd Combined Air Group 1 February 1938 Imperial General Headquarters 3rd Fleet, 4th Fleet, 5th Fleet 15 November 1939 Imperial General Headquarters 1st China Expeditionary Fleet, 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet, 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet, 13th Division, 2nd Combined Air Group, Shanghai Area Base Force, Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force 10 December 1941 Imperial General Headquarters Coast defence ship Izumo, 1st China Expeditionary Fleet, 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet, 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet, 13th Gunboat Division, 14th Gunboat Division, 1st Motor gunboat Division, 2nd Motor gunboat Division,Shanghai Area Base Force, Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force, Zhōushān Island Guard Unit, Shanghai Port office 1 April 1943 Imperial General Headquarters Cruiser Izumo, 1st China Expeditionary Fleet, 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet,Qingdao Area Special Base Force, Shanghai Area Base Force, Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force 1 April 1944 Imperial General Headquarters Cruiser Izumo, 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet,Qingdao Area Special Base Force, Shanghai Area Base Force, Yangtze River Area Base Force, Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force,Shanghai Naval Air Group, Qingdao Naval Air Group, 256th Naval Air Group, 2nd Weather Observation Unit 1 June 1945 Supreme Headquarters of the Navy 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet, Qingdao Area Special Base Force, Shanghai Area Base Force, Yangtze River Area Base Force,Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force 9 September 1945 Surrendered.
Commanders of the China Area Fleet
# Commander-in-ChiefDatesPrevious PostNext PostNotes1 AdmiralHasegawa Kiyoshi長谷川清20 October 193725 April19383rd FleetCommander-in-chiefYokosuka Naval DistrictRemained Commander-in-chief 3rd Fleetfor duration of posting.2 Vice-AdmiralOikawa Koshirō及川古志郎25 April19381 May1940DirectorNaval Aviation BureauCommander-in-chiefYokosuka Naval DistrictAlso Commander-in-chief 3rd Fleetuntil 15 November 1939Promoted to Admiral 15 November 19393 Vice-AdmiralShimada Shigetarō嶋田繁太郎1 May19401 September 1941Commander-in-chiefKure Naval DistrictCommander-in-chiefYokosuka Naval DistrictPromoted to Admiral 15 November 19404 Vice-AdmiralKoga Mineichi古賀峯一 1 September194110 November1942Commander-in-chief2nd FleetCommander-in-chiefYokosuka Naval DistrictPromoted to Admiral 1 May 1942 5AdmiralYoshida Zengo吉田善吾10 November19421 December 1943Naval CouncilorNaval Councilor 6Admiral Kondō Nobutake近藤信竹1 December 194315 May 1945 Naval CouncilorNaval Councilor 7Vice-AdmiralFukuda Ryōzō福田良三15 May19459 September1945Commander-in-chiefTakao Guard District
Chief of staff # Rank Name Date Note, additional post1 Rear-Admiral Rokuzō Sugiyama 20 October 1937 Chief of staff of the 3rd Fleet2 Rear-Admiral Jin'ichi Kusaka 25 April 1938 Chief of staff of the 3rd Fleet3 Rear-AdmiralVice-Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue 23 October 193915 November 1939 Chief of staff of the 3rd Fleet4 Rear-AdmiralVice-Admiral Denshichi Ōkawachi 1 October 194015 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 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 in this section. Structure (extract) Date Higher unit Unit name Lower units, vessels and elements 2 February 1932 (original) Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff 3rd Fleet Coast defence ship Izumo, Cruiser Ōi, Tatsuta,Collier Muroto, Collier Noshima, Oiler Notoro, Naruto, Food supply ship Mamiya,1st Expeditionary Fleet, 2nd Expeditionary Fleet, 3rd Division, 1st Carrier Division,1st Destroyer Squadron, 26th Destroyer Division 20 October 1937 China Area Fleet 3rd Fleet Coast defence ship Izumo, 11th Division, 3rd Destroyer Squadron,Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force 15 November 1939 China Area Fleet 1st China Expeditionary Fleet(renamed and reorganized) 11th Division, Hankou Area Base Force, Jiujiang Base Unit 15 November 1940 China Area Fleet 1st China Expeditionary Fleet Gunboat Ataka, Seta, Hira, Katada, Hozu, Atami, Futami, Fushimi, Sumida,Hankou Area Base Force 20 August 1943 China Area Fleet Yangtze River Area Base Force(renamed and reorganized) Gunboat Fushimi, Sumida, Seta, Hira, Katada, Hozu, Atami, Futami, Suma, Tatara, Narumi,Jiujiang Guard Unit 1 June 1945 China Area Fleet Yangtze River Area Base Force Gunboat Fushimi, Sumida, 21st Gunboat Division, 22nd Gunboat Division, 23rd Gunboat Division,24th Gunboat Division, Jiujiang Guard Unit 9 September 1945 Surrendered.
Commanders of the 3rd Fleet
Commander-in-ChiefDatesPrevious PostNext PostNotes1Vice-AdmiralNomura Kichisaburō野村吉三郎2 February193228 June1932Commander-in-chiefYokosuka Naval DistrictCommander-in-chiefYokosuka Naval DistrictRelieved after being blinded in eyeduring the Hongkou Park bombing 29 April 1932.2Vice-AdmiralSakonji Seizō左近司政三28 June19321 December1932 Commander-in-chiefSasebo Naval District3Vice-AdmiralMitsumasa Yonai米内光政1 December193215 September1933CommanderChinkai Guard DistrictAttendantNavy General Staff4Vice-AdmiralImamura Nobujirō15 September193315 November1934 Commander-in-chiefSasebo Naval District5Vice-AdmiralHyakutake Gengo百武源吾15 November19341 December1935Commander-in-chiefMaizuru Guard DistrictCommander-in-chiefSasebo Naval District6 Vice-AdmiralOikawa Koshirō及川古志郎1 December19351 December1936 DirectorNaval Aviation Bureau7 AdmiralHasegawa Kiyoshi長谷川清1 December193625 April1938Vice-Minister of the NavyCommander-in-chiefYokosuka Naval DistrictAlso Commander-in-chief China Area Fleetafter 20 October 19378 Vice-AdmiralOikawa Koshirō及川古志郎25 April193815 November1939ChiefNaval Aviation Bureau Commander-in-chiefChina Area FleetAlso Commander-in-chief China Area Fleet
Commander in chief 1st China Expeditionary Fleet and commander (Yangtze River Area Base Force)
Rank Name Date Note, additional post9 Vice-Admiral Umatarō Tanimoto 15 November 1939 Commander of the 11th Division10 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 (3rd Fleet and 1st China Expeditionary Fleet) Rank Name Date Note, additional post1 Rear-Admiral Shigetarō Shimada 2 February 1932 2 CaptainRear-Admiral Shigeru Kikuno 28 June 19321 December 1932 3 Rear-Admiral Seizaburō Mitsui 1 April 1933 4 Captain Shirō Takasu 15 November 1933 5 CaptainRear-Admiral Eijirō Kondō 15 November 193415 November 1935 6 Rear-Admiral Seiichi Iwamura 2 December 1935 7 CaptainRear-Admiral Rokuzō Sugiyama 16 November 19361 December 193620 October 1937 Chief of staff of the China Area Fleet8 Rear-Admiral Jin'ichi Kusaka 25 April 1938 Chief of staff of the China Area Fleet9 Rear-Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue 23 October 1939 Chief of staff of the China Area Fleet10 Rear-Admiral Shigenori Horiuchi 15 November 1939 11 CaptainRear-Admiral Shin'ichi Ichise 15 October 194015 November 194011 August 194115 January 1942 Commander of the Hankou Area Base Force12 Rear-Admiral Gunji Kogure 25 July 1942 x Demotion to Area Base Force. 20 August 1943
2nd China Expeditionary Fleet The was reorganized from the 5th Fleet on 15 November 1939. The 5th Fleet was reinforcements for 3rd Fleet and 4th Fleet. Their role was the guard and invasion of South China. The 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet kept appearance of a fleet until the end of war. Structure (extract) Date Higher unit Unit name Lower units, vessels and elements 1 February 1938 (original) China Area Fleet 5th Fleet 9th Division, 10th Division, 3rd Carrier Division, 4th Carrier Division, 5th Destroyer Squadron 15 December 1938 China Area Fleet 5th Fleet 9th Division, 5th Destroyer Squadron, C.M. Seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru,3rd Combined Air Group, 14th Air Group, 16th Air Group, 2nd Base Force, 3rd Base Force 15 November 1939 China Area Fleet 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet(renamed and reorganized) 15th Division, 3rd Combined Air Group, Xiamen Area Base Force, Guangdong Area Base Force, Hainan Area Base Force 10 December 1941 China Area Fleet 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet 15th Division, Xiamen Base Force, Guangdong Base Force 1 January 1944 China Area Fleet 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet Gunboat Saga, Hashidate, Hong Kong Special Base Force, Hong Kong Port office, Guangdong Guard Unit, Hainan Guard Unit,254th Naval Air Group, 15th Guard Unit, 16th Guard Unit,4th Yokosuka Special Naval Landing Force, 1st Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force, 1st Maizuru Special Naval Landing Force 9 September 1945 Surrendered. Commanders of the 5th Fleet Commander-in-ChiefDatesPrevious PostNext PostNotes1Vice-AdmiralShiozawa Kōichi塩沢幸一1 February193815 December1938AttendantNavy General StaffDirectorNavy Technical Bureau2Vice-AdmiralKondō Nobutake近藤信竹15 December193829 September1939AttendantNavy General Staff3Vice-AdmiralTakasu Shirō高須四郎29 September193915 November1939HeadmasterNaval War CollegeCommander-in-chief2nd China Expeditionary Fleet
Commanders of the 2nd China Expeditionary Fleet
Rank Name Date Note, additional post3 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 post1 Rear-Admiral Minoru Tayui 1 February 1938 2 Rear-Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi 15 December 1938 3 Rear-Admiral Chūichi Hara 15 November 1939 4 CaptainRear-Admiral Yasuo Yasuba 13 August 194115 October 194110 March 1942 Commander of the Hong Kong Special Base Force5 CaptainRear-Admiral Chōzaemon Obata 1 September 19421 November 1942 Commander of the Hong Kong Special Base Force6 CaptainRear-Admiral Yuzuru Ōkuma 19 October 19431 May 1944 Commander of the Hong Kong Special Base Force
3rd China Expeditionary Fleet The 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 (extract) Date Higher unit Unit name Lower units, vessels and elements 20 October 1937 (original) China Area Fleet 4th Fleet Cruiser Ashigara, 9th Division, 14th Division, 4th Destroyer Squadron, 5th Destroyer Squadron 15 December 1938 China Area Fleet 4th Fleet 12th Division, 1st Combined Special Naval Landing Force 15 November 1939 China Area Fleet 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet(renamed and reorganized) 12th Division, Qingdao Area Special Base Force 10 December 1941 China Area Fleet 3rd China Expeditionary Fleet Coast defence ship Iwate, 11th Torpedo boat Division, Qingdao Area Special Base Force 10 April 1942 Dissolved and reorganized to Qingdao Area Special Base Force.
Commanders of the 4th Fleet