Turtle ship
(Geobukseon) |
A turtle ship replica at the military museum in Seoul. | | Type | battleship | | Place of origin | Korea | | Service history | | Used by | Korean Navy | | Wars | Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) | | Production history | | Designer | Admiral Yi Sun-sin | | Designed | 1591 | | Produced | March 27, 1592 | | Number built | 3 to 5 | | Specifications | | Length | 100 to 120 feet | | Width | 30 to 40 feet | | Crew | 80 oarsmen, 50 soldiers | The turtle ship (also known as Geobukseon or Kobukson by its Korean name) was a large warship belonging to the Panokseon class in Korea that was used under the Joseon Dynasty between the 15th century and 18th century. It is generally accepted that the turtle ship was the first ironclad warship. The Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin is credited with resurrecting and improving the turtle ship from an older design, resulting in the craft known today. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1920x2560, 3263 KB) Rebuilt Korean turtle boat. ...
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Combatants Joseon Dynasty Korea, Ming Dynasty China Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi Commanders Korea: Yi Sun-sin, Gwon Yul, I Eok-gi, Won Gyun, Gim Myung-won, Yi Il, Sin Lip, Gwak Jae-u, Gim Si-min China: Li Rusong , Li Rubai, Ma Gui , Qian Shi-zhen, Ren Ziqiang, Yang Yuan...
Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598), also commonly transliterated Yi Sun-shin or Yi Soon Shin, was a Korean naval leader noted for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) during the Joseon Dynasty. ...
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The Revised Romanization of Korean (Korean: êµì–´ì˜ ë¡œë§ˆìž í‘œê¸°ë²•; åœ‹èªžì˜ ë¡œë§ˆå— è¡¨è¨˜æ³•) is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ...
McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ...
Panokseon (board roofed or superstructured ships) was the main type of warship used by the Korean Joseon Dynasty during the late 16th century, and was first constructed in 1555. ...
Korea (Korean: í•œêµ or ì¡°ì„ , see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ...
The Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) (also Chosun), sometimes known as the Yi Dynasty, was a dynasty founded by General Yi Seonggye in what is modern day Korea, and lasted for five centuries as one of the worlds longest running monarchies. ...
(14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ...
(17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...
Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were wooden ships or ships of composite construction (wooden planking on iron frames) sheathed with thick iron plates for protection against gunfire. ...
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. ...
Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598), also commonly transliterated Yi Sun-shin or Yi Soon Shin, was a Korean naval leader noted for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) during the Joseon Dynasty. ...
The turtle ship is famous for its helping the Koreans to win sea battles against Japanese ships during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598). Combatants Joseon Dynasty Korea, Ming Dynasty China Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi Commanders Korea: Yi Sun-sin, Gwon Yul, I Eok-gi, Won Gyun, Gim Myung-won, Yi Il, Sin Lip, Gwak Jae-u, Gim Si-min China: Li Rusong , Li Rubai, Ma Gui , Qian Shi-zhen, Ren Ziqiang, Yang Yuan...
The first references to turtle ships come from 1413 and 1415 records in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. These turtle ships were mentioned as "spear-ships" or "ramming ships" and were mainly used to thwart Jurchen and Japanese pirates. These early turtle ships soon fell out of use, though, because of a long period of peace during which Korea flourished. The Annals of Joseon Dynasty are the annual records of the Joseon Dynasty, who ruled Korea, and were written from 1413 (year 13 of the reign of Taejong) to 1865 (year 2 of the reign of Gojong). ...
Turtle ships equipped with at least five different types of cannons were in use during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598). There were at least 40 commissioned turtle ships in 1782. Combatants Joseon Dynasty Korea, Ming Dynasty China Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi Commanders Korea: Yi Sun-sin, Gwon Yul, I Eok-gi, Won Gyun, Gim Myung-won, Yi Il, Sin Lip, Gwak Jae-u, Gim Si-min China: Li Rusong , Li Rubai, Ma Gui , Qian Shi-zhen, Ren Ziqiang, Yang Yuan...
Construction According to Nanjung Ilgi, one of Admiral Yi's personal diaries, he decided to resurrect the turtle ship in 1591 after discussion with his subordinates, thinking of possible foreign invasions. With their help, Yi constructed the first modern turtle ship. The admiral's diary, along with a book entitled Hangrok by his nephew Yi Beon, described the details about the structures, construction progress, and use of turtle ships, as well as testing of weaponry used in the ships. Nanjung Ilgi (Korean: 난중ì¼ê¸°; 亂ä¸æ—¥è¨˜) or War Diary is a personal diary of Korean Admiral Yi Sun-sin (Korean: ì´ìˆœì‹ ; æŽèˆœè‡£) under the Joseon Dynasty. ...
After a year of research and construction, Yi had his soldiers complete the first modern turtle ship. It was launched on March 27, 1592. Its mounted cannons, with gunnery ranges of from 300 to 500 meters long, were tested on March 12, 1592, one day before the Siege of Busan and the Battle of Tadaejin. March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ...
Events January 30 - The death of Pope Innocent IX during the previous year had left the Papal throne vacant. ...
March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in leap years). ...
Events January 30 - The death of Pope Innocent IX during the previous year had left the Papal throne vacant. ...
Combatants Japanese Army Korean Garrison Commanders So Yoshitoshi ChÅng Pal†Hangul: ì •ë°œ, Hanja :é„æ’¥) Lee Jung Hun (Hangul: ì´ì •í—Œ, Hanja :æŽåºæ†²)]] Strength at least 15,000 men at least 8,000 soldiers Casualties Unknown between 8,500 - 30,000 (depending on various accounts) The Siege of Busan was a battle fought at Busan...
Combatants Japanese Army Korean Garrison Commanders Konishi Yukinaga Yun Heung-sin†Strength at least 5,000 3,000 (est. ...
Structure Several different versions of the turtle ships served during the war, but in general they were about 100 to 120 feet long (30 to 37 meters long), and strongly resembled the panokseon's bottom structure. The turtle ship was technically a hull covered with iron plates that was placed on top of a panokseon, with a large anchor held in the front of the ship. Panokseon (board roofed or superstructured ships) was the main type of warship used by the Korean Joseon Dynasty during the late 16th century, and was first constructed in 1555. ...
On the bow of the vessel was mounted a dragon head which emitted foggy sulfur gas to effectively disarray the enemy fleet formulation, as well as to hide the ship itself as it approached and maneuvered among enemy ships. The dragon head was large enough for a cannon to fit inside it too. The dragon head served as an early form of psychological warfare by shocking Japanese soldiers. It has been suggested that infowars be merged into this article or section. ...
In the front of the ship was a large anchor and below the anchor was a painted "face" that served as a ramming tool.
Like the standard panokseon, the turtle ship had two masts and two sails. It likewise employed oars to help speed it up, and this meant that, unlike the Japanese ships it fought, the turtle ship did not rely solely on the wind to propel it. Another main advantage the turtle ship had over its Japanese opponents was that the turtle ship could turn within its own radius.
The turtle ship had 10 oars and 11 cannon portholes on each side. Usually, there was one cannon porthole in the dragon head's mouth. There were 2 more cannon portholes on the front and back of the turtle ship. The heavy cannons enabled the turtle ships to unleash a mass volley of cannonballs. Its crew complement usually comprised about 50 to 60 fighting marines and 70 oarsmen, as well as the commander.
Hexagonal plates with sharp iron spikes protruding from them covered the upper half of the turtle ship. One of the main advantages of the iron plates was that they protected the Korean oarsmen and sailors from arquebus fire and arrows. The spikes were meant to discourage Japanese sailors from boarding the ships, because the primary Japanese method of naval combat at that time involved grappling an enemy ship with hooks and boarding it to engage in hand to hand combat. Japanese arquebus of the Edo era (teppo) Mounted arquebussier, 1646. ...
Korean written descriptions all point to a maneuverable ship, capable of sudden bursts of speed. Like the standard panokseon, the turtle ship featured a U-shaped bottom hull which gave it the advantage of a more stable cannon-firing platform and the ability to turn within its own radius. The main disadvantage of a U-shaped bottom versus a V-shaped bottom is a somewhat slower cruising speed.
Contrary to popular belief, there were only around only three to six turtle ships commissioned into the Korean Navy during the period of Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea; the mainstay of the Korean Navy was the panokseon warship, which was roughly the equal size of the turtle ship. This was because of the heavy resources necessary to build turtle ships. In a painting found in a Japanese castle, the turtle ships are depicted as three-storied mammoths, large enough in size to be compared to a modern ship. Cannons were positioned on the third floor, archers on the second floor, and troops on the first floor. There were also numerous handles that are thought to have been used to release water and suppress any fires onboard. Many weapons and functions found in the painting are thought by historians to have been years before their time.
Notes on iron cladding The later turtle ships are very noticeable for the iron plating covering the deck of the ship. Turtle ships may be first instance of any type of iron cladding on ships in world history, making them as an early predecessor of the ironclad warships. Ironclad warships, frequently shortened to just ironclads, were ships sheathed with thick iron plates for protection. ...
The armor was hexagonal iron platings with sharp spikes protruding from them. Yi used the iron plates to counter the main Japanese attack method of using grappling hooks to board an enemy vessel and engage in melee combat, similar to the naval tactics of ancient Rome. During battle, Yi had the spikes covered with hay to hide them so that the Japanese soldiers would be injured or killed during their attempts to board the ship. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...
Besides protecting the turtle ship from boarding attacks, the iron plates could deflect arrows and bullets. The plates gave only some protection to cannonballs, however, Japanese warships rarely used them. The turtle ships could survive many battles without sinking or receiving major damage, though notably all were sunk in the Battle of Chilchonryang, August 1597, and did not return until the final naval battle of the war, the Battle of Noryang Point, December 1598. The Battle of Chilchonryang was a naval conflict in the Seven-Year War. ...
Events 17 January - A court case in Guildford recorded evidence that a certain plot of land was used for playing “kreckett†(i. ...
Combatants Fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi Korean navy, Chinese Navy Commanders Shimazu Yoshihiro Tachibana Muneshige[1] So Yoshitoshi Yi Sun-sin†Chen Lin Strength about 500 ships (mostly transport ships) 80 Korean & 60 Chinese ships Casualties 459 ships lost 270 Koreans & 170 Chinese soldiers. ...
Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I. April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ...
There has been some debate as to whether or not even the later turtle ships actually had iron cladding. Korean tradition suggests iron cladding and Japanese written documents describe these final turtle ships as "covered in iron". Furthermore, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had a written request sent to Tokugawa Ieyasu for iron plating to help "counter" the Korean navy. Some interpret this to be evidence of iron cladding on the turtle ships, [citation needed] but it may simply be a reference to the need for more Japanese ironclad vessels, which were relatively common at that time. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Shinjitai (modern Japanese) writing: ; KyÅ«jitai (historical) writing: è±è‡£ç§€å‰; born Hiyoshi-maru ; coming of age (gempuku) as Kinoshita TÅkichirÅ and later made Hashiba and martial nobility in the style of Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami Hideyoshi ; 1536 - September 18, 1598), was a Sengoku daimyo who unified Japan. ...
Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu The Tokugawa clan crest Tokugawa Ieyasu (previously spelled Iyeyasu); å¾³å· å®¶åº· (January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. ...
The turtle ships were crucial in securing victory in several sea battles such as the Battle of Sacheon and the Battle of Noryang Point. The turtle ships inflicted heavy losses upon the Japanese fleet and eventually destabilized supplies arriving by sea. The Battle of Sacheon was a naval battle in the first phase of the Seven-Year War between Korea and Japan. ...
Combatants Fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi Korean navy, Chinese Navy Commanders Shimazu Yoshihiro Tachibana Muneshige[1] So Yoshitoshi Yi Sun-sin†Chen Lin Strength about 500 ships (mostly transport ships) 80 Korean & 60 Chinese ships Casualties 459 ships lost 270 Koreans & 170 Chinese soldiers. ...
Weapons
Dragon's head The dragon head was placed on the top of the ship at the bow. Several different versions of the dragon head were used on the turtle ships. The dragon head was first placed as an early form of psychological warfare to shock Japanese soldiers. One version carried a tube which could release a dense toxic smoke that was generated from a mixture of sulphur and saltpetre produced in the bowels of the ship. The smoke was designed to obscure vision and interfere with the Japanese ability to manoeuvre and coordinate properly.[1] Another version of the dragon head had a cannon placed in its mouth so that the ship would appear to be more threatening.
Admiral Yi's own diary explains that a cannon could be fitted in the mouth of the dragon to be fired at enemy ships.[2]
Cannon The cannons were the main advantage of the turtle ships over the Japanese ships since cannons enabled the turtle ship to destroy an enemy ship at a distance. The turtle ship, like the standard panokseon, could hold around 30 cannons. Usually, there were 11 gunports on each side and 2 gunports on the front and back. Several different versions of the turtle ship included about 24 to 36 cannons. A cannon could also be placed inside the turtle ship's mouth. Because of the gunports located all around the turtle ship, it could fire in any direction.
The turtle ship was equipped with Chon (Heaven), Ji (Earth), Hyun (Black), Hwang (Brown), and Seung (Victory) cannons. The Seung cannon was the lightest and ranged 200 meters, while the Chon was the heaviest and with a range of 600 meters. The Hyun and Hwang cannons were medium-sized cannons that usually shot fire arrows instead of cannonballs.
Tactical use Yi resurrected the turtle ship as a close-assault vessel, intended to ram enemy ships and sink them, similar to their use in past centuries. It was rowed directly into enemy ship formations to disrupt their lines. After ramming, the turtle ship would unleash a broadside cannonball attack. Because of this tactic, the Japanese called the turtle ships the mekurabune (目蔵船), or "blind ships", because they would get close and seemingly blast and ram into enemy ships. This kind of attack was used during the Dangpo Battle, Battle of Okpo, and Battle of Sacheon (1592). The day after the Battle of Sacheon, Admiral Yi Sun-shin had his fleet rested in the open sea off Saryang where they would have tactical advantage were the Japanese to execute a counterattack. ...
The Battle of Okpo was a battle of the first phase of the Seven Year War between Japan and Chosun (Korea). ...
The Battle of Sacheon was a naval battle in the first phase of the Seven-Year War between Korea and Japan. ...
The turtle ship's main use of the plating was as an anti-boarding device, due to the top plating of the turtle ship and its protruded spikes. Grappling hooks could not gain direct hold on the plating, and jumping to the turtle ship often meant being impaled. The iron plating also made it more difficult for Japanese ships to destroy, because it allowed the turtle ship to survive damage from enemy cannons coming from above, as well as deflecting raining arquebuse bullets and arrows.
Later, the turtle ship was used for other purposes such as spearheading attacks or ambushing Japanese ships in tight areas such as in the Battle of Noryang. Combatants Fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi Korean navy Commanders Shimazu Yoshihiro Wakizaka Yasaharu Konishi Yukinaga Yi Sun-sin†Chen Lin Strength 500 ships 80 Korean ships & 63 Chinese ships Casualties 300~450 ships Unknown, but a significantly smaller number of casualties, including Admiral Yi Sun-Sin The Battle of Noryang Point...
Despite popular depiction, the turtle ship was not an extremely slow ship. The turtle ship had oar propulsion as well as sails, and was relatively lightweight due to its very limited plating. Admiral Yi constructed the turtle ship to be fast and agile for the purpose of ramming.
Turtle ships today Turtle ships have been reconstructed recently for commercial and academic purposes. Keobukseon Research Center (거북선연구원),[3] which is a private commercial company, has done much research on the original design of the turtle ship; and made several real-size reconstructions of them for commercial use. These were deployed in a Korean drama, The Immortal Yi Soon Shin (불멸의 이순신).[4] Several museums host turtle ships on display, and people can visit and go inside a 1:1 scale turtle ship that is anchored at Yeosu. Models of the Turtle Ship are popular as decorations or gifts.[5][6] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
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Trivia - Turtle ships appear as one of the Korean unique units in the video game Age of Empires II: The Conquerors.
Notes ↑ The first account is in the "Annals of King Taejong", Year 13, early in the 5th lunar month. ↑ Admiral Yi Soon-shin and the Turtle Ship. Retrieved on 2006-01-11. 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
References - ^ Google Book Search. [1]
- ^ Google Book Search. [2]
- ^ Keobukseon Research Center (거북선연구원). HOME
- ^ KBS Drama homepage: The Immortal Yi Soon Shin. Drama homepage
- ^ 우리살림.거북선 모형 조립키트(1:100)
- ^ 거북선
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