Beiyang Ironclad Battleships: 北洋战舰

WORLD CLASS SHIPS

定远 "DING YUAN"~ Stabilizer of the Reaches.

Sea Fortress: The German made Ding Yuan 定远 (lit. "Stabilizer of the Reaches" - which became the flagship of the Beiyang Fleet was one of the most modern ships of her era. She possessed monstrous firepower. 2 massive armored turrets, each boasted two 305mm Krupp guns was arranged on each side of her sides. However, they were arranged in an asymmetrical en echelon configuration (like the contemporary USS Maine and Italian Caio Duilio) so that when the situation required, both gun turrets could be simultaneously turned toward the same target along the ship's broadside and deliver a full blast with its 4 heavy side guns together. 

This alone already made her a world- class formidable foe, however, on top of these main batteries- which were already what most of the great powers were fielding, the Ding Yuan was further augmented with two additional 150mm Krupps guns encased in a front and aft turret. Each of its 4 heavy turrets would act as a bunker. This made her very dangerous, for if the situation was required, this fortress could fire in all directions with her turrets. Three 356 mm (14.0 in) torpedo tubes rounded out the armament; one was mounted in the stern, and the other two were placed forward of the main battery, all above water.

COMMANDERS 

A man of his times: Admiral Ding Ruchang- like his patron Li Hongzhang was once a military man who earned his stripes by putting down the Taiping rebellion (the very rebellion that he was once a rebel in.) Li appreciated Ding's skills as a cavalry commander and made him a commander of the newly created Beiyang navy. 

During the preparations and assembly of the great fleet, Ding was able to tour many parts of western Europe, including Britain, France, and Germany. Like Li, Ding was also one of the few ardent ones within the Chinese echelons who saw the great state of danger his empire was in. He was one of the chief officers who oversaw the construction and fortifications of the 2 military harbors of Lüshun and Wei Hai. "Ding Yuan" was his flagship.

American Officer: Philo McGiffin was an America naval adviser and 

captain. During the later wars with Japan, McGiffin was in charge of the Ding Yuan's 

sister ship Zhen Yuan as its captain. Both ships would endure some the heaviest volume

of enemy fire in the war to come. 

The massive bows of Ding Yuan's identical sister ship, Zhen Yuan in at Lüshun Dry Docks.

Art by ld810103: Flagship Ding Yuan, Protected Cruiser Zhi Yuan, Gun Boat Guang Yi, Cruiser Chao Yong, and Torpedo Boat Zuo Yi. (Below): Circled: size of crewmen compared to the great front turret of the 150mm Krupps guns at the bow of the battleship. Unlike most of the already powerful contemporary warships in the world, Ding Yuan and her sister ship, the Zhen Yuan were further armed to be able to fire on all four directions with her great guns.

The Beiyang battleships were the trump card of the the Qing fleet, it was one that they desperately needed. Since the 1870s, Meiji Japan had eyed the Qing island of Taiwan and attempted to annex the island with interventions. The 1874 invasion of the island ended in humiliation for the Qing and the Qing was forced to pay Japan with indemnities with 18.7 tons of silver. Sir Harry Parkes, the British minister to Japan, characterized this transaction as "China's willingness to pay to be invaded". As of the 1880s and even into the 1890s, Japan was not able to procure their own battleships.

With the procurement and fitting of the new navy, the Qing ordered the Beiyang Fleet to tour around East Asia as a show of force.  In 1886, Ding Yuan, the flagship of the Beiyang Fleet participated in a regional show of force, touring Hong Kong, the Japanese port of Nagasaki, Korean ports of Busan and Wonsan, and the Russian naval base of Vladivostok together with her sister ship the Zhen Yuan and four cruisers. 

→ ☯ [PLEASE SUPPORT ME @ PATREON] ☯ ←

Thank you to my Patrons who has contributed $10 and above: You made this happen!

➢ ☯ Vincent Ho (FerrumFlos1st)

➢ ☯ BurenErdene Altankhuyag

➢ ☯ Stephen D Rynerson

➢ ☯ Michael Lam

➢ ☯ Peter Hellman