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| Image by didqud91 from Pixabay |
Korean Turtle Ship
In the late sixteenth century the Japanese attempted to conquer the Korean peninsula as a prelude to the invasion of China. However, they encountered fierce resistance and an efficient fleet of "turtle boats", the main deck of which was protected by armor plating, possibly metal, which large "pins" protruding from it. Although this cover was not useful for defending the ship from enemy arrows and cannon, its main function was to avoid being boarded. As indicated by chronicled records, the turtle ship is built by placing a wooden plate over the panokseon, the ship usually utilized by the Joseon navy force, embedding this plate with firmly planted rows of iron awls, covering it with a huge wet mat, and drilling holes in both sides for shooting cannons. In any case, there is as yet the likelihood that the rooftop was halfway or altogether secured with iron but we can't know without a doubt until a real turtle ship from that time is found.
The Korean turtle ship probably came about from the restoration of other ship with a "shell", used around two centuries previously, the design of which is preserved in old illustrations.
The Korean turtle ship probably came about from the restoration of other ship with a "shell", used around two centuries previously, the design of which is preserved in old illustrations.
