Turtle ship facts for kids
A turtle ship (Hangul: 거북선; RR: geobukseon;) was a Korean warship used from the early 15th century up until the 19th century. The ship's name derives from its covering that was said to resemble a turtle shell.
History
First-generation turtle ships, known as gwiseon (Hangul: 귀선; Hanja: 龜船), were used as far back as 1413. However, they soon fell out of use.
Turtle ships participated in the war against Japanese naval forces attempting to conquer Korea from 1592 to 1598. Korean Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who won all battles against the Japanese Navy, is credited with designing the improved turtle ship. From their first appearance in the Battle of Sacheon, his turtle contributed to winning 16 battles against the Japanese fleet under the command of various Daimyos primarily from Western Japan, though under the command of Won Gyun the Joseon Navy suffered a devastating defeat in the Battle of Chilcheollyang.
Design and construction
Later turtle ships had a higher bulwark height. This was made so that more bulwark slots could be added for additional weaponry or ventilation for the vessel's occupants. The deck of the vessel was covered with flush, hexagonal plates made of wood or iron. In both earlier and later versions, the Turtle Ship was designed to be surprisingly fast, as it was both oar and sail-powered.
Roofing
Non-contemporary sources state that the turtle ship was covered with metal plates, which would make it the first armored ship in history. While it is clear from the available sources that the roof of the ship was covered with iron spikes to prevent boarding, there is split opinion among historians on whether the turtle ship was ironclad.
Spikes
Metal spikes were used to cover the top of the turtle ship to deter boarding tactics used by the Japanese. The spikes were covered with empty rice sacks or rice mats to lure the Japanese into trying to board, since the boarding would appear safe.
Armament
The turtle ship was equipped with cheonja "heaven", jija "earth", hyeonja "black", and hwangja "yellow" type chongtong (Joseon cannons). There was also an arquebus known as seungja (victory). The seungja ranged 200 metres (660 ft) while the hwangja was the lightest but with a range of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). According to Hae-Ill Bak, one Japanese record of the Battle of Angolpo records the experience of two Japanese commanders on July 9, 1592, in their battle against turtle ships: "their (turtle ships') attack continued until about 6 o'clock in the afternoon by firing large fire-arrows through repeated alternate approaches, even as close as 18–30 feet. As a result, almost every part of our ships—the turret, the passages and the side shielding—were totally destroyed..."
A dragon's head was placed on the top of the ship at the bow. Several different versions of the dragon's head were used on the turtle ships. The dragon's head was first placed as an early form of psychological warfare in order to scare Japanese soldiers. One version carried a projector that could release a dense toxic smoke that was generated to obscure vision and interfere with the Japanese ability to maneuver and coordinate properly.
Modern reconstructions
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.
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Geobukseon Research Center has reconstructed a turtle ship with several real-size reconstructions available for commercial use. These were deployed in a Korean drama, The Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
See also
In Spanish: Barco tortuga para niños
