Ping Hai (Chinese: 平海; literally: 'Peaceful Seas') was a light cruiser in the Chinese fleet before World War II and the second ship of the Ning Hai class. The ship was laid down in China to the specifications supplied by the Japanese, and Japanese advisors were hired to oversee the construction. Compared to its sister ship Ning Hai, it had a lower-output powerplant and lacked seaplane facilities. Its anti-aircraft armament was also different from that of its sister.
The progress of its construction was affected by the Mukden Incident (18 September 1931) and the January 28 Incident (28 January – 3 March 1932). Disruption of parts supply and non-cooperation of Japanese advisors delayed its launch date from the originally planned 10 October 1933 to 28 September 1935. Blocked delivery of originally-specified anti-aircraft weapons meant that equivalent replacements of those weapons had to be bought via Germany. When it was completed in 1936, official outbreak of war was barely a year away.
Trivia[]
Design[]
Ping Hai has smaller breasts than her sister, Ning Hai. This could be a reference to the fact that Ping Hai was ultimately modified to be less top-heavy upon completion due to Guomindang financial priorities and Japanese concerns about top-heaviness after the Tomozaru incident. Unlike Ning Hai, Ping Hai wasn't built with an aircraft hanger and ultimately had a smaller powerplant than her sister. Moreover, an engine was removed and her AA complement was substantially reduced.
Skills[]
Sakura Resistance: The Japanese Navy were the only adversaries the Ning Hai twins had to face, with the Second Sino-Japanese War breaking out shortly after Ping Hai's completion. As the most modern cruisers in the Republic of China's navy, Ning Hai and Ping Hai were not scuttled to use as blockships but were instead tasked with defending the Yangtze River near Nanjing alongside Yi Xian (Yat Sen) and Ying Rui.
Ironically, Ping Hai was actually designed by Japanese shipbuilders, though was constructed in China. Even more ironic, she and her sister were sunk by Japanese aircraft very quickly and then re-floated by the Japanese to be used as escort ships.
Lines[]
Ping Hai seems to be very naive and unaware of the dire financial situation of the Chinese Navy compared to her sister. This is due to the fact that there was an, almost, six year gap between the completion of Ning Hai and Ping Hai and she was sunk after less than a year of service.