Chinese cruiser Ying Swei
 Chinese cruiser Ying Swei | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Republic of China | |
| Name: | Ying Swei (应瑞) |
| Builder: | Vickers Limited |
| Cost: | £204,000 |
| Laid down: | 12 December 1910 |
| Launched: | 14 July 1911 |
| Completed: | 2 December 1911 |
| Homeport: | Nanjing |
| Fate: | sunk 25 October 1937 by Japanese Aircraft |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Chao Ho-class protected cruiser |
| Displacement: | 2,460 t (2,421 long tons) |
| Length: | 105 m (344 ft) |
| Beam: | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Draught: | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Three-shaft Parsons steam turbines, 2 cylindrical and 4 White-Foster boilers; 6,000 hp (4,500 kW) |
| Speed: | 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) |
| Range: | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) |
| Complement: | 270 |
| Armament: |
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| Armour: |
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Ying Swei (Chinese: 应瑞; pinyin: Yīng Ruì; Wade–Giles: Ying Swei; literally: "Propitious Promise") was a protected cruiser in the training Chao Ho class originally built for the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
Development
The Chao Ho class were part of a largely unrealized seven-year modernization program by the Qing Dynasty's imperial regent Zaifeng, Prince Chun that would have ordered a number of modern battleships, cruisers, torpedo boats and submarines. The year after being laid down for the Imperial Chinese Navy, the 267-year reign of the Manchu Qing Dynasty came to an end when Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's Xinhai Revolution forced the abdication of the child-emperor Puyi and created the Republic of China.[1] Ying Swei would spend the rest of her service with the Republic of China Navy.
The Chao Ho-class cruisers were unusual in that all three semi-sister ships were built in different ship building yards, and although all three ships were built to the same basic design, they varied in size, armour and displacement, of which Ying Swei was the shortest and smallest, and all three ships carried varied assortments of guns (as opposed to uniform main armament). These were done to increase the educational effectiveness of the ships, in order to familiarize their crews with various boiler and weapons systems.
Ying Swei was laid down by Vickers Limited in Barrow-in-Furness in late 1910. She was launched 14 July 1911 and completed 2 December 1911. In 1913, after a long loan negotiation, she was delivered to China in April.[2]
Design
Ying Swei as mentioned, differed from her two sister ships. She was smaller than either Chao Ho or Fei-Hung making her the smallest of her class. Ying Swei was 2 feet 6 inches (0.76 m) narrower in beam than Chao Ho, and weighted 290 tons less. Ying Swei's foremast was stepped further aft and her funnels were spaced wider. Ying Swei had thinner armour (.75 in (19 mm) compared to 2 in (51 mm) on the main deck and 1.75 in (44 mm) compared to 3 in (76 mm) on her conning tower). Chao Ho's primary armament were two QF 6 inch /40 naval guns which were mounted on the forecastle and poop. As a protected cruiser Ying Swei did not have belt armor. The only armor was on her deck, guns and conning tower. The remaining artillery were placed on the main deck.[3]
Service history
In 1920 Ying Swei became part of a training squadron of ships based in Nanjing along with the unprotected training cruiser Tung Chi and the transport Ching An (formerly the Hamburg America Line transport Sikiang). Unlike her semi-sister ship, Chao Ho, Ying Swei's crew remained loyal to the Government of the Republic of China and did not defect to the Beiyang Government of Northern China in 1923. Although she was the newest cruiser in the Republic of China Navy, Ying Swei did not participate in the bloody Northern Expedition against the warlords of the Beiyang Government until 14 March 1927 when she along with several other cruisers steamed into the newly captured city of Shanghai.
At the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War Ying Swei had been moved to the Central Fleet alongside the two newest cruisers in the Republic of China Navy, Ning Hai, Ping Hai and the large gunboat I Hsien. The fleet was stationed at Jiangyin at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Starting 14 August 1937 Imperial Japanese Navy began a campaign of aerial bombardment against Jiangyin from the aircraft carriers Ryūjō, Hōshō and Kaga. The two new light cruisers where particularly targeted by the carrier-borne air attacks. Ping Hai was sunk first on 23 September, followed by Ning Hai on 25 September. I Hsien (also known in Cantonese as Yat Sen) was sunk on 26 September after expending her entire supply of anti-aircraft ammunition. Ying Swei was the last of the Central Fleet and had been damaged from the aerial bombardment when it was decided that she should retire to Nanjing. By mid-October the entire Central Fleet had been sunk by Japanese aircraft leaving Ying Swei the sole ship of the fleet. It was then decided that Ying Swei's naval artillery would be better used as shore batteries. Starting in September, Nanjing was subject to heavy aerial bombardment by the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 24 October 1937 while her cannons were being removed she was attacked by Japanese dive-bombers and sunk the following day before her artillery could be completely removed.[4]
See also
Notes
- ↑ Rhoads, Edward J.M.. Manchus & Han: Ethnic Relations and Political Power in Late Qing and Early Republican China, 1861-1928. University of Washington Press. 2000, p. 150.
- ↑ Wright, Richard N.J.. The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945. Chatham Publishing, 2000, p. 125-126.
- ↑ Gray, Randall. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906-1921, Volume 2. Conway Maritime Press, 1985, p. 396-397.
- ↑ Wright 2000, p. 171-173.
External links
.svg.png){kind=small} Imperial Chinese Navy Republic of China Navy | |
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.svg.png){kind=small} Royal Hellenic Navy |
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