Turtle ship

A military ship from the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. It is also called a turtle ship. To protect against arrows and enemy intrusion, the top of the ship is covered with thick planks (tortoise shell plate), giving it a turtle shell-like shape. The turtle ship was invented in the early 15th century to repel Japanese pirates, but was forgotten after the Japanese pirates were pacified. In 1592 (Bunroku 1), when the Japanese army invaded (the Imjin War, or Bunroku Invasion), Yi Sun-sin, the naval commander of the Jeolla Left Province, noticed the turtle ship's excellent characteristics for close combat, improved it, and used it in naval battles, achieving a great victory. The improved ships of Yi Sun-sin were 27-28 meters long and 8-9 meters wide, with a turtle-deck deck covered with thin iron plates and fastened with iron nails, a cone-shaped blade on one side, a crown at the bow and a turtle tail at the stern with gun loops behind them. After this, the turtle ships continued to be improved and were deployed to navies all over the country.

[Mitsuo Yoshida]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

朝鮮、李朝(りちょう)時代の軍船。亀船(きせん)ともいう。矢や敵の侵入を防ぐため、上部を厚板（亀甲板）で覆い、亀甲状の形態をしている。亀甲船は15世紀初め倭寇(わこう)撃退用に考案されたが、倭寇鎮静後は忘れられていた。1592年（文禄1）、日本軍の侵入時（壬辰(じんしん)の乱＝文禄(ぶんろく)の役）に、全羅(ぜんら)左道水軍節度使(せつどし)（司令官）李舜臣(りしゅんしん)が、接近戦に優れた亀甲船の特性に着目し、改良して海戦に使い、大勝利を収めた。李舜臣の改良船は長さ27～28メートル、幅8～9メートルで、亀甲板に薄い鉄板をかぶせて鉄釘(くぎ)で留めてあり、一面に錐刀(すいとう)を植え、船首に竜頭、船尾に亀尾を取り付けてその陰に銃眼を備えている。これ以後も亀甲船は改良を重ね、全土の水軍に配置された。

［吉田光男］

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