Battle of Myeongnyang

Last updated
Battle of Myeongnyang
Part of the Imjin War
Navalzhugenu2.jpg
20th century depiction
DateOctober 26, 1597 (September 16 according to Chinese lunisolar calendar, September 13 according to Korean lunisolar calendar)
Location 34°34′6″N126°18′28″E / 34.56833°N 126.30778°E / 34.56833; 126.30778
Result Joseon victory [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Belligerents

Japan

Joseon

Commanders and leaders
Tōdō Takatora  (WIA)
Katō Yoshiaki
Kurushima Michifusa  
Wakizaka Yasuharu
Mōri Takamasa
Kan Michinaga
Kuki Yoshitaka
Yi Sun-sin
Kim Eok-chu
Kim Ung-ham
An Wi
Song Yeo-jong
Bae Heung-rip
Strength
133-330 warships [6] [3] [7] [5] [8] 13 warships [9] [10] [11] [3]
32 scouting ships (Yi's report, likely did not participate in combat) [12]
Casualties and losses
31 ships rammed open [13] :314
More than 30 ships destroyed (Hawley) [3]
About 30 ships destroyed (Lewis) [4] :133
Half of the elders (Tōdō clan memoirs). [11]
Half of the Japanese (prisoner's testimony) [12]
No ships lost [3] [13] :315 [4]
At least 2 killed and 3 wounded aboard Yi Sun-sin's flagship (Yi's record) [13] :315
At least 8 drowned from An Wi's ship

御歸陣被成少前にこもがいへ御成御越候處すいゑんと申所に番舟の大将分十三艘居申候大川の瀬より早きしほの指引御座候所の内に少塩のやはらき候所に十三さうの舟居申候それを見付是非共取可申由舟手の衆と御相談に而則御取懸被成候大船にてそのせとをこぎくたし候儀は成ましきとていつれも関舟を御揃被成御かかり候先手の舟共は敵船にあひ手負数多出来申候中にも来島出雲守殿討死にて御座候其外舟手の被召連候家老之者共も過半手負討死仕候處に毛利民部大輔殿関舟にて番舟へ御かゝり被成候番舟船へ十文字のかまを御かけ候處に番舟より弓てつほうはけしく打候に付て舟をはなれ海へ御はいり被成あやうく候處に藤堂孫八郎藤堂勘解由両人舟をよせてきせむをおいのけたすけ申候朝の五時分より酉の刻迄御合戰にて御座へとも舟之様子番船能存候に付風を能見すまし其せと口をぬけほを引かけはしらせ申に付無是非追懸申儀も不罷成候和泉樣も手を二ヶ所おはせられ候 [11]

Just before the lord [Tōdō Takatora] returned [to Japan], he went to Komogai, when at a place called Suien [Woosooyoung] there were thirteen warships of the commander's class. The tide pulled in and out quickly at the rapids of the channel. Where the tide was a little weaker there were the thirteen ships. Having found them the lord discussed with the sailors if we could take them, but being told the large ship he was riding on could not row in the straits, so all the ships the lord gathered were sekibune and he attacked. The forward ships suffered many wounds. Among them Kurushima, Lord of Izumo was killed, and among the men of the elders brought over as sailors over half were also wounded or killed but then Lord Mōri the Senior Assistant Minister of Popular Affairs on a sekibune attacked the warships. As he grappled with the warships with cross-shaped hooks, the Korean ships shot bows and guns fiercely, and the ships parted and was about to enter the oceans when at the moment of danger Tōdō Magohachirō and Tōdō the Regional Inspector, the two of them went in their boats and chased away the enemy ships and saved him. The fighting lasted from the hour of the dragon to the hour of the rooster, but as the warships knew well the condition of the ships, on clearly seeing wind hoisted sail and set for the mouth of the straight there, and there was nothing we could do to catch them. Lord Izumi suffered two wounds on his hand. [1] [2]

Aftermath

Even after the victory, the Joseon navy was still outnumbered by the remaining Japanese navy, so Admiral Yi withdrew to resupply his fleet and have more space for mobile defense. After hearing the news of the heroic victory, many surviving ships and sailors who had been in hiding after the defeat at Chilcheollyang joined Admiral Yi's fleet. [15] In Yi's report to the court as recorded in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, he was fortunate to gain a small victory after the disaster at Chilcheollyang, with which the Japanese momentum was blunted and they were prevented from entering the Yellow Sea. [10] The victory also enabled the Chinese navy to join Admiral Yi in early 1598. After the destruction of most of the Joseon fleet at Chilcheollyang, the Ming kept their navy stationed at important port cities to guard against possible Japanese naval attacks. The victory at Myeongnyang convinced the Ming government that they could ease security at their major ports and deploy a fleet to the Joseon navy's aid.

The Japanese navy was heavily damaged (while at least 30 of the Japanese fighting ships were destroyed, [13] :314 the total number of damaged ships, to include those supporting ships that may have sustained damage, was not clearly reported [29] [30] ). Kurushima was killed, Tōdō Takatora was wounded and the Japanese suffered extremely heavy casualties, [11] with a captured prisoner reporting half were killed or wounded. [12] The Japanese navy continued with a minor incursion into the western coast of Korea, but soon withdrew to consolidate their holdings along the southern coast. In order to avenge themselves, the Japanese conducted a punitive expedition against Yi's residence of Asan on November 23, 1597 (14th day of the 10th month by the Chinese calendar), burning the village and murdering Yi Myon, Admiral Yi's youngest son. [13] :321–322

One Japanese claimed that the battle was a strategical victory for the Japanese navy merely because the Joseon navy abandoned the Myeongnyang Strait as well as the surrounding waters, and retreated after the battle. [31]

However, dozens of the books which were published by the Japanese Governor-General of Korea, Japanese historians the during Empire of Japan era also summarized the battle as a Korean decisive victory. [32] [33]

The books which were published by the Imperial Japanese Navy also summarized the battle as a Korean decisive victory. [34]

Furthermore, almost every modern Japanese historian also said the battle was a Korean decisive victory. [35] [36]

“In the end, Yi’s thirteen-strong fleet defeated ten times that number of Japanese ships. The defeat not only frustrated Japan’s advance to the West Sea but also gave Chosŏn a respite to rebuild the navy. Yi’s victory at Myŏngnyang can be credited to his combat tactics, the construction of a small and yet powerful fleet, and the participation of refugee civilians and refugee ships in the battle.” [4] :133

"By the time the Japanese reached open water and the exhausted Koreans gave up their pursuit, thirty-one ships of Hideyoshi’s navy had been destroyed, while Yi’s fleet remained intact. With that the Japanese navy began to fall back toward the border of Kyongsang Province, then farther still toward Angolpo and Pusan. It would give up all thought of gaining access to the Yellow Sea, and would not venture west again." [3] :489

Technical notes

Chain or iron rope across the strait

There are claims that Yi had iron ropes tightened across the channel between Japanese fleet groups, which severely dampened the Japanese numerical advantage. [37] However, in Yi's war diary no mention is made of such a tactic. [9]

See also

Citations

  1. 1 2 山内譲, 松山大学論集. "来島村上氏と文禄・慶長の役" (in Japanese).
  2. 1 2 上野市古文献刊行会(編). "藤堂 高虎".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Hawley, Samuel (2005). The Imjin War: Japan's sixteenth-century invasion of Korea and attempt to conquer China. Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California. ISBN   9788995442425.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lewis, James B. (2014), The East Asian War, 1592–1598 ; International relations, violence, and memory, Routledge Press, ISBN   978-1-315-76720-8
  5. 1 2 李舜臣, 李忠武公全書, 朝鮮硏究會,京城 , 大正6(1917)
  6. "명량해전 당일 이순신의 일기". Archived from the original on 2022-10-08. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  7. Turnbull, Stephen 2002 Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War. Great Britain: Cassell & Co.
  8. 李舜臣, 亂中日記草 ; 壬辰狀草, 朝鮮史編修會 編, 京城, 朝鮮總督府 昭和10 (1935)
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 李舜臣. "乱中日記草・壬辰状草". Archived from the original on 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  10. 1 2 宣祖實錄, 朝鮮王朝實錄. "三十年11月10日". Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 史籍集覧. "藤堂家覺書". Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  12. 1 2 3 宣祖實錄, 朝鮮王朝實錄. "三十一年2月11日". Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Yi, Sun-sin (edited by Sohn, Pow Key) 1977 "Nanjung ilgi: War Diary of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin." Republic of Korea: Yonsei University Press.
  14. Yi, Sun-sin, (translated by Ha, Tae-hung) 1979 "Imjin Changch'o: Admiral Yi Sun-Sin's Memorials to Court." Republic of Korea: Yonsei University Press, p. 226
  15. 1 2 Yi Sun-sin, Nanjung ilgi, Sep 17 – Oct 2 in 1597 (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar)
  16. Turnbull, Stephen 2002 Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War. Great Britain: Cassell & Co., p. 183
  17. Turnbull (2002), p. 185
  18. Sŏng-nyong Yu (translated by Byonghyon Choi), 2002, The Book of Corrections: Reflections on the National Crisis During the Japanese Invasion of Korea, 1592–1598: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Jan 1, 2002, p. 129
  19. Turnbull, Stephen 2008 The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592–98. Great Britain: Osprey Publishing, p. 82
  20. Turnbull (2002), p. 200
  21. Yi Sun-sin, Imjin Changch'o, p. 226
  22. Yi Sun-sin, Imjin Changch'o, p. 227
  23. Park, Yune-Hee 1973 Admiral Yi Sun-Shin and his Turtleboat Armada. South Korea: The Hanjin Publishing Company, p. 209
  24. Turnbull (2002), p. 201
  25. Strauss, Barry. "Legendary Admiral." The Quarterly Journal of Military History Summer 2005: p. 60
  26. Strauss (2005), p. 61
  27. Turnbull (2002), p. 202
  28. Lee Lee, Duksu. "亂中日記" (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  29. 1 2 Cho Kyungnam(조경남), 난중잡록(亂中雜錄)
  30. 1 2 Yi Keungik(이긍익), 燃藜室記述(연려실기술)
  31. "鳴梁海戦に関する文献総覧:海戦の実相を求めて". Archived from the original on 2023-03-21.
  32. 李舜臣, 李忠武公全書, 朝鮮硏究會,京城 , 大正6(1917)
  33. 李舜臣, 亂中日記草 ; 壬辰狀草, 朝鮮史編修會 編, 京城, 朝鮮總督府 昭和10 (1935)
  34. "国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション".
  35. 智将李舜臣龍と伝説 , 金永治雄 [著]. 叢文社, 2008.9
  36. 李舜臣と秀吉 : 文禄・慶長の海戦 片野次雄 著. 誠文堂新光社, 1983.7
  37. "Admiral Yi Sun-sin – A Korean Hero: The Battle of Myongnyang, A Maritime Miracle". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2010-08-17.

Bibliography

  • Alagappa, Muthiah (2003), Asian Security Order: Instrumental and Normative Features, Stanford University Press, ISBN   0-8047-4629-X
  • Arano, Yasunori (2005), The Formation of a Japanocentric World Order, International Journal of Asian Studies
  • Brown, Delmer M. (May 1948), "The Impact of Firearms on Japanese Warfare, 1543–1598", The Far Eastern Quarterly, 7 (3), Association for Asian Studies: 236–53, doi:10.2307/2048846, JSTOR   2048846, S2CID   162924328
  • Eikenberry, Karl W. (1988), "The Imjin War", Military Review, 68 (2): 74–82
  • Ha, Tae-hung; Sohn, Pow-key (1977), 'Nanjung ilgi: War Diary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Yonsei University Press, ISBN   89-7141-018-3
  • Haboush, JaHyun Kim (2016), The Great East Asian War and the Birth of the Korean Nation
  • Hawley, Samuel (2005), The Imjin War, The Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch/UC Berkeley Press, ISBN   89-954424-2-5
  • Jang, Pyun-soon (1998), Noon-eu-ro Bo-nen Han-gook-yauk-sa 5: Gor-yeo Si-dae (눈으로 보는 한국역사 5: 고려시대), Park Doo-ui, Bae Keum-ram, Yi Sang-mi, Kim Ho-hyun, Kim Pyung-sook, et al., Joog-ang Gyo-yook-yaun-goo-won. 1998-10-30. Seoul, Korea.
  • Kim, Ki-chung (Fall 1999), "Resistance, Abduction, and Survival: The Documentary Literature of the Imjin War (1592–8)", Korean Culture, 20 (3): 20–29
  • Kim, Yung-sik (1998), "Problems and Possibilities in the Study of the History of Korean Science", Osiris, 2nd Series, 13: 48–79, doi:10.1086/649280, JSTOR   301878, S2CID   143724260
  • 桑田忠親 [Kuwata, Tadachika], ed., 舊參謀本部編纂, [Kyu Sanbo Honbu], 朝鮮の役 [Chousen no Eki] (日本の戰史 [Nihon no Senshi] Vol. 5), 1965.
  • Lewis, James B. (2014), The East Asian War, 1592–1598 ; International relations, violence, and memory, Routledge Press, ISBN   978-1-315-76720-8
  • Neves, Jaime Ramalhete (1994), "The Portuguese in the Im-Jim War?", Review of Culture, 18: 20–24
  • Niderost, Eric (June 2001), "Turtleboat Destiny: The Imjin War and Yi Sun Shin", Military Heritage, 2 (6): 50–59, 89
  • Niderost, Eric (January 2002), "The Miracle at Myongnyang, 1597", Osprey Military Journal, 4 (1): 44–50
  • Park, Yune-hee (1973), Admiral Yi Sun-shin and His Turtleboat Armada: A Comprehensive Account of the Resistance of Korea to the 16th Century Japanese Invasion, Shinsaeng Press
  • Rockstein, Edward D. (1993), Strategic And Operational Aspects of Japan's Invasions of Korea 1592–1598 1993-6-18, Naval War College
  • Sadler, A. L. (June 1937), "The Naval Campaign in the Korean War of Hideyoshi (1592–1598)", Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan , Second Series, 14: 179–208
  • Sansom, George (1961), A History of Japan 1334–1615, Stanford University Press, ISBN   0-8047-0525-9
  • Sohn, Pow-key (April–June 1959), "Early Korean Painting", Journal of the American Oriental Society, 79 (2): 96–103, doi:10.2307/595851, JSTOR   595851
  • Stramigioli, Giuliana (December 1954), "Hideyoshi's Expansionist Policy on the Asiatic Mainland", Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan , Third Series, 3: 74–116
  • Strauss, Barry (Summer 2005), "Korea's Legendary Admiral", MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, 17 (4): 52–61
  • Swope, Kenneth M. (2006), "Beyond Turtleboats: Siege Accounts from Hideyoshi's Second Invasion of Korea, 1597–1598", Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies, 6 (2), Academy of East Asian Studies: 177–206
  • Swope, Kenneth M. (2005), "Crouching Tigers, Secret Weapons: Military Technology Employed During the Sino-Japanese-Korean War, 1592–1598", The Journal of Military History, 69: 11–42, doi:10.1353/jmh.2005.0059, S2CID   159829515
  • Swope, Kenneth M. (December 2002), "Deceit, Disguise, and Dependence: China, Japan, and the Future of the Tributary System, 1592–1596", The International History Review, 24 (4): 757–1008, doi:10.1080/07075332.2002.9640980, S2CID   154827808
  • Swope, Kenneth M. (2009), A Dragon's Head and a Serpent's Tail: Ming China and the First Great East Asian War, 1592–1598, University of Oklahoma Press
  • Turnbull, Stephen (2002), Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War 1592–98 , Cassell & Co, ISBN   0-304-35948-3
  • Turnbull, Stephen (2008), The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-98, Osprey Publishing Ltd
  • Turnbull, Stephen (1998), The Samurai Sourcebook, Cassell & Co, ISBN   1-85409-523-4
  • Villiers, John (1980), SILK and Silver: Macau, Manila and Trade in the China Seas in the Sixteenth Century (A lecture delivered to the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society at the Hong Kong Club. 10 June 1980)
  • Yi, Min-woong (2004), Imjin Wae-ran Haejeonsa: The Naval Battles of the Imjin War [임진왜란 해전사], Chongoram Media [청어람미디어], ISBN   89-89722-49-7
Battle of Myeongnyang

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yi Sun-sin</span> 16th-century Korean naval commander

Yi Sun-sin was a Korean admiral and military general famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)</span> Two campaigns against Joseon

The Japanese invasions of Korea, commonly known as the Imjin War, involved two separate yet linked invasions: an initial invasion in 1592, a brief truce in 1596, and a second invasion in 1597. The conflict ended in 1598 with the withdrawal of Japanese forces from the Korean Peninsula after a military stalemate in Korea's southern provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Noryang</span> Last major battle of the Japanese invasions of Korea

The Battle of Noryang, the last major battle of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), was fought between the Japanese navy and the combined fleets of the Joseon Kingdom and the Ming dynasty. It took place in the early morning of 16 December 1598 and ended past dawn.

The Battle of Okpo was a military engagement which took place during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98), also known as the Imjin War. Korean commanders Yi Sun-sin and Won Gyun's fleet destroyed a group of anchored Japanese transport ships. It was the first naval battle of the Imjin War, and the first victory of Admiral Yi against the Japanese naval fleet of Todo Takatora. A day later, after destroying an additional 18 Japanese transport vessels in nearby waters, Yi Sun-sin and Won Gyun parted ways and returned to their home ports after receiving news of the fall of Hanseong. The Battle of Okpo caused anxiety and nervousness among the Japanese, because afterward Yi began to deploy his navy to attack Japanese supply and carrier vessels.

The Battle of Busan of 1592 was a naval bombardment of anchored Japanese ships at Busan. Yi Sun-sin managed to destroy over 100 Japanese ships and retreated with minimal casualties. It was a naval engagement that took place on 1 September(Lunar calendar) 1592 during the first phase of the Japanese invasions of Korea. It was a Korean surprise attack on the fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi stationed at Busan, and its main objective was to recapture Busan, which would thoroughly cutoff the supply line of the Japanese army. In this battle, officer Jung Un and six soldiers died, the Japanese lost over 100 ships, and the Japanese military lost control of the seas around the Joseon.

The Battle of Sacheon was a naval engagement on May 29, 1592 during the Imjin War (1592–98). It occurred at Sacheon where Yi Sunsin's fleet managed to destroy 13 large Japanese ships. It was the first battle of Admiral Yi's 2nd Campaign in the Imjin War, between Japan and Korea, when the turtle ship was first used.

The naval Battle of Chilcheollyang took place on the night of 28 August 1597. It resulted in the destruction of nearly the entire Korean fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseon Navy</span> Military unit

The Joseon Navy was the navy of the Korean dynasty of Joseon. While originally commissioned to protect merchant vessels and coastal towns from Japanese pirate raids, the Joseon navy is best known for defeating the Japanese naval forces during the Imjin War and is often credited with halting the Japanese invasion campaign and saving the dynasty from conquest.

The Joseon naval campaigns of 1592 were naval campaigns conducted by Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin during Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) against the Japanese forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. These campaigns made Yi a legendary figure in Korean history on par with, if not surpassing, the great general Eulji Mundeok. The campaigns of Yi were vital in halting the Japanese invasion, which had the ultimate aim of conquering not just Korea, but Ming China as well. Yi was able to severely impair Japanese logistics and reinforcements for the land forces in Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Busanjin</span> 1592 Japan–Korea battle in Korea

The siege of Busanjin was a battle fought at Busan on 24 May 1592, between Japanese and Korean forces. The attacks on Busan and the neighboring fort of Dadaejin were the first battles of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Hansan Island</span> 1592 Japan–Korea naval battle

The Battle of Hansan Island (Korean: 한산도대첩) and following engagement at Angolpo took place on 8 July 1592. In two naval encounters, Korean Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fleet managed to destroy roughly 100 Japanese ships and halted Japanese naval operations along the southern coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Pyongyang (1593)</span> Fought during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1593

The siege of Pyongyang was a military conflict fought between the allied Ming-Joseon army and the Japanese First Division under Konishi Yukinaga. The battle ended in victory for the allies but a successful retreat from Pyeongyang by the remaining Japanese in the night of 8 February 1593.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Haengju</span> 1593 attempt by the Japanese to invade Joseon-dynasty Korea

The Battle of Haengju took place on 14 March 1593 during the 1592–1598 Japanese invasion of Korea. The Japanese attack failed to overcome Haengju fortress.

The Battle of Danghangpo was a naval engagement during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) that resulted in Korean victory.

The Battle of Dangpo was a naval engagement during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) on 10 July that resulted in Yi Sun-sin's victory.

The Battle of Imjin River was a battle during the 1592 Japanese invasion of Korea. Gim Myeongweon's northern defense was defeated and the Japanese were able to cross over and invade northern Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Ulsan</span> 1598 siege

The Siege of Ulsan was an unsuccessful Ming-Joseon attempt to capture Ulsan from the Japanese. The siege lasted from 26 January to 19 February 1598.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Dongnae</span> 1592 Japan–Korea battle

The siege of Dongnae was a siege that occurred on May 25, 1592 during the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea. It resulted in the capture by Japanese forces of Dongnaeeupseong, a mountain fortress on the way to Hanseong (Seoul).

The Battle of Byeokjegwan was a military engagement fought in the winter of 27 February 1593, between the armies of the Ming dynasty led by Li Rusong and Japanese forces under Kobayakawa Takakage. It resulted in a Japanese victory and Ming retreat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Suncheon</span>

The Siege of Suncheon or Siege of Japanese Fortress was an unsuccessful Korean and Chinese Allied Forces attempt to capture Suncheon Japanese Castle late in the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598).