Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 268

Songhua River Battle (7)

“Rockets are coming!”

“Rockets are coming!”

As thousands of Singijeon [Korean rocket-propelled arrows] flew, leaving white trails of smoke like tails, the Jurchen cavalrymen at the front screamed and scattered left and right.

Singijeon were not unfamiliar to the Huligai tribe.

The Ming Dynasty army also had similar gunpowder-propelled weapons called rockets. Having often seen the Ming army use rockets against the Northern Yuan cavalry, the Huligai tribe learned the countermeasures devised by the Northern Yuan cavalry.

Following these learned countermeasures, the Jurchen cavalry quickly dispersed to the left and right.

This would sacrifice the density and speed, which are the most important elements in the breakthrough tactics that are the cavalry’s specialty. However, density was a secondary issue, and speed could be sufficiently recovered given the current distance.

However, there was something the Huligai tribe did not anticipate.

The Joseon army’s Hwacha [multiple rocket launcher] and Singijeon were very different from the Ming army’s rockets and their launching device, the ‘Nest of Bees’ rocket launcher, which they were familiar with.

* * *

“It’s a cliché, but Hwacha is something you can’t leave out when you think of Munjong, so I can’t just skip it, can I? I am him, after all. And it’s a pretty useful weapon for the time being.”

With Hyang’s determination, the Hwacha and the Singijeon to be loaded into it were greatly improved.

The first thing Hyang worked on was the Singijeon. It was decided that the Singijeon to be mounted on the Hwacha would be the medium Singijeon, not the small Singijeon.

As the volume of the propellant increased, the Singijeon fired from the Hwacha had a faster flight speed, a range of 500 paces (about 600m), and penetration power to pierce through double-layered armor even at that distance.

After finishing the development of the Singijeon, Hyang also worked on the Hwacha.

In the history before Hyang’s intervention, one could choose between using the sajeonchongtong [small cannon] and the medium Singijeon, but Hyang boldly stipulated that only the medium Singijeon should be used.

The cart on which the frame was mounted was also modified to make it easy to attach and detach the firing frame.

Therefore, when a battle broke out and the salvo of 100 shots was over, the time to bring and replace the new firing frame, which had been placed in a safe zone, could be greatly reduced.

The Hwacha developed in this way showed a big difference in power compared to the Ming Dynasty’s rockets and the ‘Nest of Bees’ rocket launcher.

The Ming Dynasty’s infantry could fire 32 rockets at once with the ‘Nest of Bees’ rocket launcher. However, the Joseon Hwacha fired 100 rockets at once.

The Ming Dynasty’s rockets could theoretically fly 400 paces (about 480m). However, because they had to be held and fired by a person, the effective range was about 200 paces (about 240m).

However, by using the Hwacha, the Joseon army was able to properly utilize the theoretical maximum range.

* * *

The Singijeon fired by the Joseon army flew over the heads of the Huligai cavalry.

“Huh?”

The cavalrymen, turning their eyes to follow the Singijeon flying over their heads, realized that the target of the Singijeon fired by the Joseon soldiers was not them.

“Against the infantry?”

Confirming that the target of the Singijeon was the infantry, the Huligai cavalrymen burst into laughter, a smugness spreading among them.

“Fools!”

The infantry had shields. The rocket had the advantage of being able to fire a large number of arrows at once, but the power of one rocket was not significantly stronger than one arrow. It could be powerful against archer cavalry who did not have shields, but its power was significantly weaker against infantry who had shields as defensive gear.

“Rockets are coming!”

“Raise your shields!”

“Shields!”

The Huligai tribe’s infantry, seeing the Singijeon filling the sky and flying towards them, raised their shields over their heads and crouched down.

Swish! Thwack! Crack!

The Singijeon began to hit the shields, which were covered with leather and surrounded by copper plates. The eyes of the infantrymen, seeing the arrowheads piercing through the wooden boards along with the sound of wood breaking, were filled with fear.

“Don’t be afraid! Trust your shields!”

The soldiers, who were new to battle, had to forcibly suppress their fear at the shouts of the commanders and veteran soldiers.

“Kuh!”

“Kyak!”

In the meantime, some unlucky ones were hit by Singijeon in their shoulders, arms, or legs and screamed.

And another thing happened that the Huligai tribe did not expect.

Bang! Boom!

“Kuaaak!”

“Keok!”

“My eyes! I can’t see!”

“My ears! My ears!”

“Kkua! My arm!”

“My leg! My leg!”

Instantly, screams overflowed among the Huligai tribe’s infantry.

The Singijeon that had struck their shields and bodies had exploded.

The wooden fragments created by the explosion of the Singijeon that had struck the shields, and the iron pellets inside the Singijeon, scattered, causing permanent damage to sight or hearing, and screams erupted.

Even worse were those who had Singijeon stuck in their shoulders, arms, or legs. Bones were broken by the shock of the explosion, and some even had their arms or legs torn off. Those who had Singijeon stuck in their shoulders or chests died on the spot.

* * *

Even in Joseon history before Hyang’s intervention, Joseon had been agonizing over how to strengthen the power of the Singijeon fired from the Hwacha. The result of such 고민 [Korean: agony, worry] was to create a separate space filled with gunpowder in front of the propellant container attached to the Singijeon.

The gunpowder in this extra space could cause additional damage, large and small, to the people, animals, or facilities hit by the Singijeon, and the Singijeon that fell to the ground could explode and cause confusion in the enemy ranks.

And Hyang had worked on this extra space. Along with Deokgap-style gunpowder, which was more powerful than black gunpowder, he put in five or six small iron pellets that went into the Bigyeokjincheonle [Korean bomb/grenade].

As this space exploded, the iron pellets that were together scattered in all directions, causing additional damage.

* * *

Ignoring the sight of such unfortunate comrades, the Huligai tribe’s infantry had to continue moving forward, covering their heads with shields.

“Keep moving! If you stop, you’ll end up just like those guys!”

Although they suffered considerable losses as more than 1,000 Singijeon poured down in an instant, the Huligai tribe’s infantry had no choice but to advance.

Swish! Whoosh!

“Here they come again!”

“Run! Run! There’s no other way but to run!”

When they heard a loud flying sound in the sky again, the Huligai tribe’s infantry gritted their teeth and began to sprint.

As the infantry began to run, the Huligai cavalry, who had been moving ahead, also had to pick up speed.

Their mission was to crush the enemy lines and allow the infantry to enter safely. Therefore, they had to move ahead of the infantry.

* * *

“The plan worked out well.”

On the hill where the Joseon army was encamped, Lee Suk-myo smiled grimly and looked back at his staff.

-Break the enemy’s momentum, make them expend their energy, and make the allies advantageous.

This was the first thing Lee Suk-myo thought of.

In his opinion, the most powerful thing about the Jurchens was that most of them were skilled riders and their ferocity.

In order to prevent this strength from being properly displayed, Lee Suk-myo had to think thoroughly from the selection of the battlefield.

Using the mobile strike force and the Udihe cavalry, he forced Yimanju and Meonteumu to head to Gilim, and made them pass through the narrowest of the passages in the southwest area of Gilim.

Then, in the middle of that narrow passage, he built a barrier with spearmen and gunners, and deployed artillerymen on both hills. And, on the left and right of that, he deployed the Joseon cavalry and the Udihe Jurchen cavalry to force Yimanju and Meonteumu to choose a frontal breakthrough.

And, using the long range of the Singijeon mounted on the Hwacha, he shook the warriors of the Huligai tribe who were advancing.

“At best, it’ll be about 50 jangs (about 150m), but….”

Looking at the warriors of the Huligai tribe charging while raising clouds of dust, Lee Suk-myo trailed off.

For the cavalry, increasing the distance by about 50 jangs would not be a big problem physically. However, for the infantry who had to endure the Singijeon with their bodies like that, about 50 jangs would be a magical distance that would eat away at their mental and physical strength.

As the Huligai tribe’s cavalry began to charge, Lee Suk-myo immediately gave the order.

“Fire the Bigyeokjincheonle [Korean bomb/grenade].”

“Yes! Fire the Bigyeokjincheonle!”

At the staff’s command, the flagman waved the signal flag.

Soon after, the artillery pieces that were encamped on both hills fired the Bigyeokjincheonle all at once.

Thwack thwack thwack!

As both hills were covered with smoke, Lee Suk-myo muttered.

“Let’s see how useful the tricks I learned from the navy are. Anyway….”

Lee Suk-myo felt the wind tickling his cheek and smiled deeply.

“The wind is very good. The wind direction and wind speed are to my liking. The smoke will clear easily.”

While Lee Suk-myo was feeling the wind and enjoying it, about 100 smoke explosions spread all at once over the heads of the charging Jurchen cavalry.

Thwack thwack thwack!

“Kkuaaak!”

Neigh!

Nearly 100 Bigyeokjincheonle exploded all at once over the heads of the charging Huligai cavalry. As countless fragments and iron pellets inside were scattered in all directions, the Huligai cavalrymen and horses riding under them were covered in blood and rolled on the ground.

* * *

The navy was the first to think of aerial explosions using the wooden tube of the Bigyeokjincheonle.

While fighting against the Japanese pirate ships or Chinese pirate ships, the navy had accumulated dissatisfaction with the artillery pieces on the warships.

“It would be the end if we could just hit the pirate ship. The problem is that hitting it is difficult.”

Waging a cannon battle in the sea, which was undulating with waves, made it difficult to expect a hit rate above a certain level, no matter how well-trained the navy was.

Large arrows, such as the Janggunjeon (General Arrow), which was a large arrow used in the Janggunhwathong, or iron pellets, showed a hit rate close to waste even if the waves were only slightly rough. Therefore, the navy fired four smaller arrows, Chadaejeon (Next Large Arrow), instead of the large arrows, or filled them with Joranwhan and fired them at the pirate ships.

At this time, the navy’s young officers came up with a new tactic.

“The most powerful thing is Joranwhan, so let’s use Bigyeokjincheonle!”

When they used the Bigyeokjincheonle in this way, they saw a better effect than expected. In addition, whether it was by chance or on purpose, the navy, which had confirmed that the Bigyeokjincheonle that exploded in the air with less fuse showed the most fatal effect, began to favor the Bigyeokjincheonle against pirate ships.

And this tactic was immediately passed on to the land and naval forces.

* * *

Thwack!

Depending on whether it exploded in the higher sky or at a lower altitude, there was a slight difference, but every time the Bigyeokjincheonle exploded over the heads of the Huligai cavalry, dozens to hundreds of cavalrymen had to roll on the ground.

“These crazy bastards!”

The Huligai cavalrymen, their eyes full of blood, kicked the horses’ flanks like crazy.

Blood was seeping from the horses’ flanks pierced by the spurs, but no one had the leisure to take care of it.

“We have to get out of this hell!”

“We have to get closer to the enemy lines as soon as possible! If we get closer, they won’t be able to do whatever they want!”

“Run, even if we die!”

With the quick judgment of veteran soldiers with a lot of battlefield experience, the cavalrymen ran madly.

Riding his horse with the tribe’s warriors, Meonteumu shed tears of blood.

“I should have bypassed them, even if it meant taking damage!”

Due to the pressure from the Udihe tribe’s mongrels and the Joseon army’s cavalry, Yimanju and Meonteumu had to head to Gilim.

However, the problem was what came next. The place where the Joseon army pushed them was the narrowest of the many roads to Gilim.

The width of the road between the low mountains rising on both sides and the hilly area connected to them was about 400 jangs (about 1.2km).

It would not have been a problem at all under normal circumstances, but it was not the case when tens of thousands of troops gathered like now.

In particular, it was a very narrow space for nearly 20,000 cavalrymen to maneuver as they were now.

It was the best killing space for the Joseon army, which mainly used artillery, to push in the tribe’s warriors.

“Joseon soldiers!”

“Joseon soldiers!”

“Joseon soldiers in front!”

At the shouts he heard around him, Meonteumu looked ahead.

In the distance, he could see the Joseon army’s formation blocking the road with long spears.

Estimating the distance, Meonteumu instinctively grabbed his bow, took out a long arrow from the jeontong (arrow quiver) attached to the right side of the saddle, strung it, and pulled it back with all his might.

“Heuup!”

Meonteumu straightened his body, took a breath, and released the bowstring.

Swish! Whoosh!

Soon, the arrows fired by the Jurchen cavalry drew a parabola over the heads of the Joseon soldiers blocking the front and fell.