Fenghuang
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The Fenghuang (鳳凰; English: Phoenix) was the flagship of the Zhang Wei Union, operating in the South China Sea during the early 18th century.
History
The Fenghuang was originally a Chinese junk captained by a band of pirates operating from the Paracel Islands. In 1725, it was captured by Edward Kenway and his organization, the Zhang Wei Union, while on a mission for the Dutch East India Company to cleanse the islands of pirates. After being brought back to Macau, Edward was allowed to keep the ship due to a promise made by the company's chief navigator Jan van Aert. Making use of the loot gained from the pirates, the Zhang Wei Union were able to purchase a plot of land by a harbor to operate and store their ship.[1]
Repairs and upgrades to the ship then began under the direction of the Union's engineer Yun Pyeong-Gyu, who installed a number of new armaments such as European-style cannons used in Joseon modified by Yun himself, swivel guns that had increased caliber, and several hwachas. The members of the Union also settled on the Fenghuang as the name for their new flagship, which was the Chinese word for phoenix, the legendary bird known for its ability to be reborn from its own ashes.[1]
The Fenghuang sailed under the Zhang Wei Union for the first time when it was used by Yun and Rupiya to rescue Edward, John Young, Shimazu Saito and Xialun Qing from the fleet of Admiral Jeong following the events at Sun's floating gambling hall. It easily sunk one of Jeong's ships, causing the admiral to decide against battling it and allowing Edward, John, Saito and Qing to board the Fenghuang and escape to safety.[2] The ship would later be used by the members of the Zhang Wei Union when they sailed to the Philippines to investigate a lead to the location of Angkor.[3]
Armaments
Even prior to its acquisition by the Zhang Wei Union, the Fenghuang had earned a reputation as the ship that "wreaked havoc in the Paracels", according to Jeong.[2] Following its upgrades by Yun Pyeong-Gyu, the ship became even more powerful, being equipped with modified European-style cannons from Joseon, swivel guns with an increased caliber, and several hwachas that functioned as volley guns, launching a volley of fire arrows at the enemy.[1]
Crew
- Edward Kenway – Commandant[3]
- Rupiya – Captain[2]
- Yun Pyeong-Gyu – Lookout[2]
- John Young[3]
- Shimazu Saito[3]
- Xialun Qing – Healer[3]
Gallery
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The Fenghuang docked -
The deck of the Fenghuang
Appearances
References