Chinese cruiser Jingyuan (1886)
| Ching Yuen Jingyuen
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Imperial China | |
| Name | Ching Yuen |
| Ordered | October 1885 |
| Builder | Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, England |
| Laid down | 20 October 1885 |
| Launched | 14 December 1886 |
| Completed | 9 July 1887 |
| Fate | Sunk in combat, 7 February 1895 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Protected cruiser |
| Displacement | 2,300 long tons (2,300 t) |
| Length | 268 ft (82 m) |
| Beam | 38 ft (12 m) |
| Draft | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Speed | 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Capacity | 510 tons of coal |
| Complement | 260 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | |
Jingyuen (Chinese: 靖遠; pinyin: Jingyuan; Wade–Giles: Ching-Yuen) was a cruiser built for the Imperial Chinese Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth in Elswick, England. She was one of two protected cruisers of this type built, alongside her sister ship was Zhiyuen. Jingyuan was one of the first protected cruisers built with a larger number of smaller sized naval guns, as opposed to an smaller number of larger guns.
Design
At the time that Jingyuen was ordered in October 1885, there was a debate in naval circles over the differences between armored cruisers and protected cruisers. Viceroy of Zhili province, Li Hongzhang, was in Europe to order ships from builders in Western nations. He was unable to decide between the two types, so in an experiment, he placed orders for two vessels of each type. The order for the two protected cruisers was given to Armstrong Whitworth in Elswick, England, who were known as the leading builder of this type of vessel during this period.[1]
Jingyuen was 268 feet (82 metres) long overall. They had a beam of 38 ft (12 m) and a draught of 15 ft (4.6 m). She displaced 2,300 long tons (2,300 tonnes), and carried a crew of between 204-260 officers and enlisted men.[1] She was equipped with an armored protected deck, which was 4 inches (10 cm) thick on the slopes and 3 in (7.6 cm) on the flat. The superstructure was divided into waterproof compartments, and had a low forecastle, a single smokestack, and two masts. She was powered by a reciprocating steam engine with four boilers, driving two screws. This provided 6,850 indicated horsepower (5,110 kW) for a top speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph).[1]
Earlier protected cruisers had been equipped with a small number 10 in (25 cm) guns, but Jingyuen became one of the first ships of this type which were instead equipped with a larger number of smaller guns. The main armament consisting of three breech-loading 8-inch (20 cm) Krupp guns, two paired on a rotating platform in front of the ship, and one mounted on a rotating platform in the stern. Both mounts were protected by 2 inches (5.1 cm) thick gun shields. The secondary armament consisted of two 6-inch (15 cm) Armstrong guns mounted on sponsons on either side of the deck. The ship also had eight QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss guns, two QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns, and eight 1-pounder guns. Jingyuen was also equipped with weapons other than naval artillery, which included six gatling guns as well as four above water mounted torpedo tubes.[1]
Service record
Jingyuan was laid down on 20 October 1885, launched on 14 December 1886, completed on 9 July 1887.
On arrival in China in 1888, Zhiyuen and Jingyuen were both assigned to the Beiyang Fleet. In the summer of 1889, both vessels were part of the flotilla let by Admiral Ding Ruchang, calling on the Russian naval base of Vladivostok.
Both vessels were in the Battle of the Yalu River on 17 September 1894. Early in the battle, the captain of Zhiyuen moved aggressively against the Japanese command vessel Saikyō Maru, inflicting considerable damage on it, and coming under counterattack by the Japanese flying squadron led by Admiral Tsuboi Kōzō (Yoshino, Takachiho, Akitsushima, and Naniwa). Conversely, the captain of Jingyuen kept his distance from combat, and refused to engage the Japanese fleet. Jingyuen also came under attack from the Japanese flying squadron, taking at least three hits, which killed two crewmen and wounded 17 others, and which set some fires (which were soon extinguished). At the end of the battle, Jingyuen escaped with the other surviving Beiyang Fleet ships to Lushunkou and when that port was threatened during the Battle of Lushunkou, to Weihaiwei.
During the Battle of Weihaiwei, after the shore batteries had been captured by the Imperial Japanese Army, Jingyuen came under attack. After several direct hits, the cruiser exploded and sank in shallow water at her anchorage.
Notes
- ^ a b c d Wright 2000, p. 73.
References
- Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|lastauthoramp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - Wright, Richard N.J. (2000). The Chinese Steam Navy. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-144-6.
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