Imperial Chinese Navy Chen Yuen, 1894. S-Model 1/700
The Imperial Chinese Navy Chen Yuen built in Stettiner Vulcan AG, Germany, was the sister of Ting Yuen. She was completed and enrolled Peiyang Fleet service in 1885. She took part in the Battle of the Yalu on September 17 1894 in the First Sino-Japanese War. During the batlle, she hit the Japanese flag ship Matsushima with her 12-inch main guns and heavily damaged it. When Peiyang Fleet surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Navy in Wei-Hai-Wei, Chen Yuen, which had already hurt by striking a rock early, was also captured by the Japanese on Febraury 17 as a prize of war. She joined Japanese Navy on March 16 and kept her original Chinese name. She participated in the Batte of the Yellow Sea and the Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War. She decommissioned on April 1 1911 and became a target shio, finally was scrapped in Yokohama on April 6 1912.
Chen Yuen displaced 7,670 tons loaded and had a speed of 15.4 knots (29 km/h). At 10 knots (19 km/h), she had a range of around 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km). Her armament consisted of four 12 inch (305 mm) Krupp 25 calibre breech-loading guns in two barbettes one either side with a secondary armament of two 5.9 inch (150 mm) 35 calibre Krupp breech-loaders placed fore and aft. To this were added six 37 mm guns and three above the waterline torpedo tubes. Total crew was around 363 officers and men.
The Kit is S-Model, very well detailed with an excellent fit and includes some photo etched plates plus the cannon barrels. The base is a block of styrofoam wrapped in watercolour paper to give the sea texture, painted with Gunze acrylics and finished with gloss clear coat plus “Still Water” from Vallejo. For the rocks and hill I used DAS modelling paste and some Woodland Scenics products for the trees and bushes.
click any image for slideshow
