View source for Chinese cruiser Laiyuan

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|Ship image=Laiyuan (ship, 1888) - NH 1593 - cropped.jpg
|Ship caption=''Lai Yuen''
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|Ship country=[[Imperial China]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Qing dynasty|naval}}
|Ship name=''Laiyuen''
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|Ship builder=[[AG Vulcan Stettin|Stettiner AG Vulcan]],
|Ship original cost=865,000 silver [[tael]]
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|Ship laid down=1 January 1885
|Ship launched=25 March 1887
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|Ship completed=1 January 1888
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|Ship fate= Sunk in combat; 5 February 1895
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship type=[[Armored cruiser]]
|Ship displacement={{convert|2900|t|LT|abbr=on}}
|Ship length={{convert|82.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|11.99|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|5.11|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
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|Ship speed={{convert|16|kn|km/h mph|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship range=
|Ship capacity=320 tons of [[coal]]
|Ship complement=270 officers and men
|Ship armament=*2 × [[21 cm L/35|{{convert|210|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] guns
*2 × [[15 cm MRK L/35]] (6 inch) guns
*4 × {{convert|457|mm|in|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s
*8 × [[machine gun]]s
|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|24|cm|in|abbr=on}}
*[[Gun turret|Turret]]: {{convert|20|cm|in|abbr=on}}
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'''''Laiyuan''''' ({{zh|c=來遠|p=Laiyuan|w=Lai Yüan}}), also known as '''Lai Yuen''', was an [[armored cruiser]] in the late [[Qing dynasty]] [[Beiyang Fleet]]. Its [[sister ship]] was {{ship|Chinese cruiser|Jingyuan|1887|2}}.

==Background==
As part of his drive to create a modern navy following the [[Sino-French War]], Viceroy [[Li Hongzhang]] turned to [[AG Vulcan Stettin|Vulcan shipyards]] in [[Stettin]], [[Empire of Germany|Germany]]. ''Jingyuan'' and ''Laiyuan'' were called “[[gunboat]]s” by their designers,  but were referred to as “cruisers” by the Chinese. In terms of [[displacement (ship)|displacement]] were similar in class to the Japanese {{sclass|Matsushima|cruiser|4}}. However, in terms of weaponry, they mounted large calibre guns in the manner of a coastal defense [[Monitor (warship)|monitor]], and lacked the speed or a higher muzzle velocity [[main battery]] typical of ships designed per the tenets of the then-popular [[Jeune Ecole]] theory promoted by French naval architect [[Emile Bertin]].

==Design==
''Laiyuan'' had a steel housing, divided into 66 waterproof compartments filled with [[cork (material)|cork]], a single smokestack, and single mast. Her [[belt armor]] had a thickness of {{convert|5.5|to|9.5|in|mm}} but did not extend above the waterline or to the extremities of the hull, and was {{convert|8|in|mm}} at the [[conning tower]] and [[barbette]]s. Her deck armor had a thickness of {{convert|2.5|to|3|in|mm}} at the extremities. The [[prow]] was reinforced for [[Naval ram|ramming]].  The power plant was a double expansion reciprocating [[steam engine]] with four cylindrical boilers, driving two screws.

The ship's main armament was two [[breech-loading weapon|breech-loading]] [[21 cm L/35|8-inch (209&nbsp;mm)]] [[Krupp]] cannon, paired in the forward barbette. Provision was made for only 50 rounds of ammunition per gun. The secondary armament consisted of two [[15 cm MRK L/35]] (6 inch) Krupp guns mounted on [[sponson]]s on either side of the deck. The ship also had two [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|47-mm long guns]] and five 37&nbsp;mm [[Hotchkiss gun]]s, as well as two [[torpedo tube]]s.

''Jingyuan'' and ''Laiyuan'' were second in displacement after the Beiyang Fleet battleships {{ship|Chinese turret ship|Dingyuan||2}} and {{ship|Chinese turret ship|Zhenyuan||2}}, but were deficient in speed and in firepower, where compared with contemporary vessels, such as the British-built [[Elswick cruiser]]s. Although its armor belt gave ''Laiyuan'' an advantage over non-protected vessels, its two-inch lacquered [[teak]] deck made it flammable in the event of a battle.

==Service record==
''Laiyuan'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 1 January 1885, [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 3 January 1887, completed on 1 January 1888. 
On arrival in China in 1880, ''Jingyuan'' and ''Laiyuan'' were both assigned to the Beiyang Fleet. In the summer of 1889, both vessels were part of the flotilla let by Admiral [[Ding Ruchang]], calling on the Russian naval base of [[Vladivostok]]. In early 1894,  both vessels accompanied {{ship|Chinese turret ship|Dingyuan||2}} and {{ship|Chinese turret ship|Zhenyuan||2}} on a visit to [[Singapore]], but the flotilla was recalled to [[Weihai]]wei on the eve of the [[First Sino-Japanese War]] with the [[Empire of Japan]].

''Jingyuan'' and ''Laiyuan'' were both in the [[Battle of the Yalu River (1894)|Battle of the Yalu River]] on 17 September 1894. Early in the battle, the captain of ''Laiyuan'' moved aggressively against the Japanese squadron, pursuing the slower moving Japanese [[gunboat]] {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Akagi||2}}. ''Laiyuan'' was four times the size of the Japanese gunboat, and her guns killed the Japanese commander and ten crewmen, brought down the gunboat's mast, destroyed the bridge and holed ''Akagi'' in eight locations. On the other hand, the [[Quick-firing gun|quick-firing]] 120-mm guns of the ''Akagi'' wreaked havoc on the ''Laiyuan'', causing a large fire, and forcing her to break off the pursuit. The fire continued to burn through the remainder of the battle, despite the efforts of the crew to extinguish it, including flooding the [[Gunpowder magazine|powder magazine]]. Coming under attack by the Japanese flying squadron led by Admiral [[Tsuboi Kozo]] ({{ship|Japanese cruiser|Yoshino||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Takachiho||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Akitsushima||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Naniwa||2}}), ''Laiyuan'' took many more hits, but refused to sink and continued to burn almost down to her waterline. At the end of the battle, her engines still operational, ''Laiyuan'' escaped to the Beiyang Navy repair base at [[Lushunkou]], under her own power.

Repairs were not completed by the time of the [[Battle of Lushunkou]], when the remnants of the Beiyang Fleet were ordered to retreat to Weihaiwei without giving battle. During the subsequent [[Battle of Weihaiwei]], on 5 February 1895, ''Laiyuan'' was attacked by two Japanese [[torpedo boat]]s. ''Laiyuan'' was struck by a [[torpedo]] fired by {{ship|Japanese torpedo boat|Kotaka||2}}, rolled over, and capsized, with a loss of approximately 170 crewmen.

==References==
*Chesneau, Roger and Eugene M. Kolesnik (editors), ''All The World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905'', Conway Maritime Press, 1979 reprinted 2002, {{ISBN|0-85177-133-5}}
*{{cite book | last = Wright | first = Richard N. J. | year = 2000 | title = The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945 | publisher = Chatham Publishing | location = London | isbn = 1-86176-144-9}}

{{1895 shipwrecks}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Laiyuan}}
[[Category:Cruisers of the Beiyang Fleet]]
[[Category:Naval ships of China]]
[[Category:Ships built in Stettin]]
[[Category:1887 ships]]
[[Category:First Sino-Japanese War cruisers of China]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Yellow Sea]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1895]]