1/1250 Zhen Yuan, ironclad, 1885 (Scratch-built )
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by Dr Andrea De Bonis |
1/1250 Zhen Yuan, ironclad, 1885 (Scratch-built )
Zhen Yuan, ironclad (7340 tons, 94 m. long, four 305 mm guns), with her sister ship Ding Yuan were the first technologically advanced vessels used by the Chinese people (both were built in Germany). Purchased by the Qing Empire and delivered in 1885, after 10 years the ships were captured as war prizes by Japan, which showed its educational and technical superiority against the Chinese (being immobile in a cultural system lacking scientific knowledge and proved primitive in every aspect of society). During the battles near Shandong, in the Yellow Sea, Zhen Yuan showed herself to be very resistant thanks to her heavy armor and caliber of the cannons, although with problems of stability and ballistic precision which were later resolved by the Japanese enemies making major modifications to the guns.
