Boat-tortoise

The Boat-tortoise (in Korean: Kòbuk-Sòn ) is a Korean Warship used for the first time in 1598, at the time of the Bataille of No Ryang to defend Korea against a Japanese attack . He was invented by the admiral Yi Sun-sin, who was killed at the time of this same battle.

History

The Korea has at that time had a fleet of war for two centuries. It had been made up to eliminate the threat from the Pirate S Japanese, and since always maintained. This navy was held up to date technological advances, and was in particular equipped with various firearms. The principal ships were the pan' ok-sòn , of large decked, heavy ships with the operation. They however had allowed an evolution of the marine combat: the spur stroke and the Abordage could be advantageously replaced by the combat of artillery.

Fearing a Japanese aggression, the admiral Yi makes repair and improve the 24 ships present in the squadron of South-west. He in particular makes carry out tests on artillery. He undertakes a programme of repair of the fortifications of the arsenals, intensifies the drive and prepares a ship of a new type. This ship, whose plans were lost, is the first Cuirassé of high-sea of the naval history, two centuries and half before the Gloire , launched in 1859 with Toulon. Sailing ship when it sailed, it retracted its masts at the time of the engagements and worked then to the oar. Very manoeuvrable and drawn well, it was very fast, which gave him an immediate advantage on the heavy ones and awkward Japanese ships. It was armed with twelve pieces of artillery, making fire by ports open in the armor, and twenty-two loopholes allowed the implementation of Mousquet S, rockets and arrows with fire.

The ship nowadays

The original plans of the admiral Yi were lost. However, it is possible to see a reproduction of a boat-tortoise life size, with the Mémorial of the war, Seoul (image of right-hand side).

See too

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