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Concept
Turtle ship
Summary
A turtle ship (; kʌbuksən) was a type of warship that was used by the Korean Joseon Navy from the early 15th century up until the 19th century. They were used alongside the panokseon warships in the fight against invading Japanese fleets. The ship's name derives from its covering that was said to resemble a turtle shell. Some historians have described it as a very early type of ironclad though the historical evidence for this is uncertain.
The first references to older, first-generation turtle ships, known as gwiseon (, kɥisʌn), come from 1413 and 1415 records in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which mention a mock battle between a gwiseon and a Japanese warship. However, these early turtle ships soon fell out of use as Korea's naval preparedness decreased during a long period of relative peace.
Turtle ships participated in the war against Japanese naval forces supporting Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attempts 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 Won Gyun, in the Battle of Chilcheollyang. It is unknown precisely how many of Yi's Turtle Ships were constructed. The cost of one of these armored warships would have been high, especially if the deck was lined with hexagonal iron plates as some sources suggest.
Later turtle ships held some structural changes as opposed to earlier versions. For example, later iterations of the Turtle Ship had a higher bulwark height. This alteration in the design was made so that more bulwark slots could be added. In turn, these slots could be used for additional weaponry or ventilation for the vessel's occupants. Early illustrations also show initial versions of the ship consisting of overlapping planks on the deck structure, while later depictions show the deck of the vessel covered with flush, hexagonal plates made of wood or iron.
Official source
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