The ''Zhiyuan'' class ( zh, c=致远级, p=Zhiyuanji, w=Chih-yuan-chi) were two

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of cruiser of the late 19th century, took their name from the armored deck, which protected vital machine-spaces from fragments released by explosive shells. Protected cruisers notably lacked a belt of armour alon ...

s built during the late stages of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. Both were sunk during the

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 189417 April 1895), or the First China–Japan War, was a conflict between the Qing dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan primarily over influence in Joseon, Korea. In Chinese it is commonly known as th ...

Context and build

In the late 19th century, the ships were built as part of

Li Hongzhang Li Hongzhang, Marquess Suyi ( zh, t=李鴻章; also Li Hung-chang; February 15, 1823 – November 7, 1901) was a Chinese statesman, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in importan ...

's effort to modernize the Imperial Chinese Fleet. was built first and ''Jingyuan'' followed. Both ships were built by

Armstrong Whitworth Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Tyne and Wear, Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomot ...

in Elswick. The main armament of the class consisted of three Krupp 21 cm MRK L/30 breechloaders. Secondary armament consisted of two 15 cm MRK L/35 breechloaders and 8 6-pdr L/40 Hotchkiss

quick firing gun A quick-firing or rapid-firing gun is an artillery piece, typically a gun or howitzer, that has several characteristics which taken together mean the weapon can fire at a fast rate. Quick-firing was introduced worldwide in the 1880s and 1890s and ...

s. There were installations to launch four torpedoes.

Service of this class

Both cruisers took part in the Battle of Yalu River during the

, with ''Zhiyuan'' being sunk in battle and ''Jingyuan'' damaged. ''Jingyuan'' was later sunk during the

Battle of Weihaiwei The Battle of Weihaiwei (Japanese: took place between 20 January and 12 February 1895, during the First Sino-Japanese War in Weihai, Shandong Province, China, between the forces of Japan and Qing China. In early January 1895, the Japanese la ...

in January 1895.

Notes

References

* * Cruisers of the Beiyang Fleet Military history of the Qing dynasty Cruisers of Imperial China Cruiser classes {{Mil-ship-stub