Chinese cruiser Laiyuan

Lai Yuen
Career (China)
Name:	Lai Yuen
Builder:	AG Vulcan Stettin
Fate:	Damaged in Battle of the Yalu River, later scuttled.
General characteristics
Type:	Armored cruiser
Displacement:	2,900 t (2,900 long tons)
Length:	82.4 m (270 ft 4 in)
Beam:	11.99 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draft:	5.11 m (16 ft 9 in)
Speed:	16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Capacity:	320 tons of coal
Complement:	270 officers and men
Armament:	2 × 210 mm (8.3 in) guns, 2 × 150 mm (5.9 in) guns, 4 × 457 mm (18.0 in) torpedo tubes, 8 × machine guns
Armour:	Belt: 24 cm (9.4 in) Turret: 20 cm (7.9 in)

The Laiyuan (來遠; Romanized as Lai Yuen) was an armoured cruiser built by the Stettiner Vulcan AG shipyard in Stettin, Germany for the Chinese Beiyang Fleet.

Lai Yuen displaced 2,900 t (2,900 long tons) and had a speed of 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph). Her armament consisted of two 210 mm (8.3 in) guns, two 150 mm (5.9 in) guns, and four 457 mm (18.0 in) torpedo tubes. To this was added eight machine guns.

Lai Yuen took part in the Battle of the Yalu River against the Imperial Japanese Navy on 17 September 1894 and suffered numerous hits. Lai Yuen would later be sunk at Weihaiwei.

References

• Wright, Richard N. J., The Chinese Steam Navy 1862-1945, Chatham Publishing, London, 2000, ISBN 1-86176-144-9
• 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