Hey...I'm from China and used to learn about navy in WW2,especially in Asia.
Maybe I could help you something.
First,'Historical Materials of the Republic of China Navy' is a great book.
...
Is there any information in that book about the ex-French vessel Inconstant? The following is all I have been able to glean from secondary sources, and I have some doubt as to whether the ship was ever actually bought by the Chinese.
Regards
David
Inconstant had been built for the French Navy in 1916 as an
Ardent class anti-submarine gunboat. The French Navy may have converted her into a minesweeper post-World War One. She was deployed to the Far East in 1927,
[1] and condemned by the French Navy in 1933.
[2] The 1934 edition of Weyer's
Taschenbuch der Kriegsflotten reported that she had been bought by the Chinese Navy in May 1933, but did not disclose her new name.
[3] Wright’s book
The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945, repeated this claim, citing
Taschenbuch der Kriegsflotten, but provided no additional information.
[4]
[1] Dufeil, Y & Terraillon, M, 2011,
Navires de la Grande Guerre – INCONSTANT,
. P Franconie, 2007,
Canonnière en Chine, Éditions Karthala, Paris, p133.
[2] JL Couhat, 1974,
French Warships of World War I, Ian Allen, Shepperton, pp180-184.
[3] A Bredt (ed), 1934,
Weyer's Taschenbuch der Kriegsflotten, 1934, J.F. Lehmanns, Munich, pp26-27.
[4] RNJ Wright, 2000,
The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945, Chatham Publishing, London, pp161-162.