turtle ship

thingiverse

A Geobukseon, also known as a turtle ship in Western descriptions, was a massive Korean warship used by the Royal Korean Navy during the Joseon dynasty from the early 15th century up until the 19th century. Alongside panokseon warships, it fought against invading Japanese naval ships. The ship's name comes from its protective shell-like covering. This design is recognized as the world's first armored ship. First references to older, first-generation turtle ships called gwiseon come from records in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty from 1413 and 1415. These early turtle ships were mentioned in a mock battle between a gwiseon and a Japanese warship. However, they soon fell out of use due to Korea's decreased naval preparedness during a long period of peace. Turtle ships played a significant role in the war against Japanese forces supporting Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attempts to conquer Korea from 1592 to 1598. Korean Admiral Yi Sun-Shin designed improved turtle ships that contributed greatly to winning battles. His ships were equipped with at least five different types of cannons and won 16 times out of 16 battles against the Japanese Navy until they were destroyed in the Battle of Chilcheollyang. Their most distinctive feature was a dragon-shaped head at the bow that could launch cannon fire or flames from its mouth. Each ship also had a fully covered deck to protect against arrow fire, musket shots, and incendiary weapons. The deck was covered with iron spikes to discourage enemy men from attempting to board the ship.