IMPERIAL CHINESE BEIYANG FLEET FLAGSHIP "TING YUEN"

Description

The Ting Yuen ("Eternal Peace") was laid down on March 31, 1881 and launched December 28, 1881. Her sea trials began May 2, 1883. Her near identical sister ship, the Chen Yuen ("Striking From Far Away") was laid down in March 1882 and launched November 28, 1882. Her sea trial began in March 1884. Both ships displaced 7,670 tons fully loaded. Each had four 12 in guns in two barbettes as their main armament. These guns had a light gun shield giving the appearance of a turret. Single 5.9 inch guns in turrets at the bow and stern were the ships’ largest secondary armament. The ships were only protected by armor in the citadel style with 14 inches of compound armor protecting amidships. The secondary turrets fore and aft were protected by 3 inch armor. Both battleships took center stage in the naval battles of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 with the Ting Yuen acting as Admiral Ting’s flagship at the Battle of the Yalu in 1894. Though hit hundreds of times by Japanese shells during the battle, both ships remained afloat to fight off the Japanese. By the war’s end, the Ting Yuen had been hit by a Japanese torpedo and beached as a total wreck. The Chen Yuen was surrendered to the Japanese who took her into their own navy. (Scale : 1/350e)