But most of his attention was given to the development of the famous "turtle ships." These vessels had a curved covering deck which resembled a turtle carapace. The deck and sides were ironclad and bristled with spikes to prevent boarding. On the prow was a fierce-looking dragon head in which was mounted a medium gun; along the sides were 12 gunports with heavy pieces which could fire missiles, spears, or buckshot. On the high seas the ships moved by sail power; in action the sails and masts were removed and oars were used. Vessels resembling the turtle ships had been known earlier in both China and Korea, but it was Yi who perfected the design and, more importantly, developed the tactics by which they could be most effective. He used the turtle ships as attack vessels; they would move directly into the enemy force and disrupt it and then go after the bigger ships, either ramming them or broadsiding them with the heavy cannons.
First Successes
The Japanese invasion force landed at Pusan on May 25, 1592. The first Korean naval encounter proved disastrous: under the timid commander of the Right Kyngsang Fleet, Wn Kyun, nearly the whole Kyngsang fleet was lost or scuttled.
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