Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 19

Extracurricular Story 19. 1592 Naval War in the South Sea. (19)

Even as they were being mowed down by the crossfire from the Empire Army’s Hwachas [multiple rocket launchers], the Japanese Army soldiers continued their all-out sprint towards the hill in front of them, shouting battle cries.

It was a combination of their survival instinct—needing to cross the first line of defense on that hill before the Empire Army’s shelling began—and their desire to plunder the Empire and make a fortune.

The soldiers, leaping over the bodies of their comrades who had fallen to the Hwacha’s projectiles, finally began to see the defensive line where the Empire Army was entrenched.

“Just a little more! Just a little more!”

“The enemy lines are right in front of us! Let’s go!”

“We can survive if we just get past that point!”

Just as the Japanese soldiers were encouraging themselves and their comrades, the Empire Army doused their enthusiasm.

The shelling had begun.

Bang! Kaboom!

“Shelling!”

“Get down! Get down!”

“Advance on your bellies!”

As the Hwacha rounds fired by the Empire Army artillery exploded all around them, the Japanese soldiers quickly lay down on the sand and began to crawl forward.

However, this was exactly what the Empire Army artillery had been aiming for.

Shortly after, the second wave of Hwacha rounds fired by the Empire Army artillery rained down on the beach.

The second volley of Hwacha rounds exploded simultaneously in the sky above Daecheon Beach.

Kaboom!

“Aaaagh!”

In an instant, the sands of Daecheon were churned, and the soldiers’ screams filled the air.

An army officer, observing the situation on the beach from a fortified defensive position, picked up a receiver and reported to the rear.

“Significant enemy casualties!”

Upon hearing the report from behind, the artillery commanders smiled brightly and ordered their gunners.

“We’ll give them hell! Keep going with the Jinchonroe [a type of Korean cannon shell]!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Prepare to fire!”

At the commander’s order, the artillerymen adjusted the time fuses on the shells and loaded them into the cannons.

“Ready to fire!”

“Fire!”

“Fire!”

Bang!

Once again, dozens of Hwacha rounds streaked across the sky towards Daecheon.

* * *

The ‘霰彈 (Sandan, Shot Shells)’ used by the Empire Army artillery were shells designed solely for the purpose of killing enemy soldiers.

Until then, the only projectile designed solely for killing enemy soldiers was the Bigyeokjincheonroe [a more powerful version of the Jinchonroe].

And this Bigyeokjincheonroe was only used in 완구 (Wangu) [early Korean mortars] – which had now become identical to the 21st century’s mortars.

The Hwacha rounds used by the regular artillery were improved and used to serve the dual purpose of destroying enemy structures and killing enemy soldiers.

However, after experiencing actual combat—mainly in 지브롤터 (Gibraltar)—problems were raised among the artillery commanders.

-The Hwacha rounds we’re currently using aren’t bad. They destroy buildings well and kill people well.

-But, after using them in actual combat, we’ve often found that the craters created by the exploding Hwacha rounds become excellent shelters for the enemy.

-If we value our lives, we need to think about this. We’re getting along well now, but if things go wrong, we’ll definitely suffer from their human wave tactics.

-If one Hwacha round kills ten people, but the crater it creates allows twenty more to survive and approach… It makes me very uneasy. In fact, our own troops are being trained to respond in the same way.

-So, I’ve come up with two possible solutions. One is to completely devastate the surrounding area with overwhelming explosive power. The other is to sacrifice explosive power in exchange for maximizing lethality.

-In the second case, we’re already using time fuses, but we need to create a Hwacha round with a superior killing effect.

Based on these conclusions, a large-caliber cannon with a bore of 1.5척 (Cheok, approx. 45cm) [Korean unit of measurement] was developed, and a Jinchonroe for general artillery use was created.

Like the Bigyeokjincheonroe that 향 (Hyang) [name of the creator] had created in the old days, it was a vicious weapon with several layers of lethal iron balls packed inside the thinnest possible shell, filled with gunpowder.

The Empire’s artillerymen were trained to use time fuses when firing these general artillery Jinchonroes, so that they would explode above the enemy’s heads.

That alone was a problem, but what was even worse for the Japanese army was that the Jinchonroes currently raining down a steel shower on Daecheon had undergone improvements.

-It’s good that they explode, but isn’t it a waste that the fragments spread in all directions, without distinguishing between up, down, left, and right?

-Can’t we focus the direction in one place?

-While we’re at it, can’t we make the fragments spread even more forcefully?

These suggestions led to further improvements, and the new and improved product became a Hwacha round that met the commanders’ requirements as much as possible.

Later, it would become a weapon that earned the infamous reputation among historians studying the Empire’s history and equipment as ‘a collection of human malice’.

* * *

The Jinchonroes that exploded in the sky above Daecheon scattered the iron balls inside in a shape similar to an overturned funnel.

This was a fatal attack for the Japanese soldiers who were lying down on the white sand, crawling forward.

Because the body parts exposed to the attack had greatly increased due to their prone position.

In an instant, Japanese soldiers who were either killed or fatally wounded littered Daecheon’s white sands.

“How can they do such a heinous thing! Is this something a human being would do!”

Kato Yoshitaka, who was shouting curses at the scene of carnage unfolding before his eyes, yelled at his soldiers.

“Ichikabachika (一か八か, all or nothing)! We’ll break through the defensive line at full speed! Follow me!”

As Kato Kiyomasa took the lead and ran, the surviving Japanese soldiers also began to sprint after him.

In response to the Japanese Army’s charge, the Empire Army’s fire net, which had been somewhat slackened, began to tighten again.

* * *

The transport ships that had dropped off Kato and his men quickly retreated, and transport ships carrying Konishi’s second wave filled their place.

Konishi and his staff, positioned on the bridge of the transport ship moving at the very front, watched the tragedy unfolding on the beach through binoculars.

“It’s a scene straight out of hell….”

Konishi’s murmur only elicited gloomy expressions from his staff.

“Wouldn’t it be better to retreat?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

When one of the staff members mentioned retreat, the senior staff member cut him off.

“Landing in enemy territory always requires sacrifices!”

“But the losses are too great!”

“Does that mean you can so easily suggest turning back! Is that how the Great Japanese Imperial Army acts!”

“But….”

“Shut up!”

The staff member who advocated for retreat fell silent at the senior staff member’s rebuke.

Konishi, who had been listening quietly, turned his head and opened his mouth.

“Retreat… Do you think we can return unscathed if we turn back now?”

“Wouldn’t it be possible?”

Konishi gave a bitter smile at the staff member’s words.

“If you wanted to return unscathed, you shouldn’t have set sail. No, it might have been possible even right before the attack on Jeju Island if we had turned the ship around. But it’s already too late. Why do you think the navy is desperately holding on like that? There’s no way out for us. Only forward is possible.”

“A do-or-die strategy is only possible when there’s a chance of victory!”

The staff member’s protest, advocating for retreat, sounded like a scream. In response, Konishi still smiled bitterly and replied.

“Isn’t it the point of a do-or-die strategy to create that non-existent chance of victory?”

“Commander!”

“The arrow has already left the bow, and it’s ichikabachika [a gamble]. If so, then we must consider ways to increase our chances of success as much as possible.”

“Hoo~.”

At Konishi’s words, the staff members all sighed in unison.

“How did we ever judge that we could defeat the Empire….”

Hearing someone’s murmur inside the bridge, Konishi smiled bitterly again and replied.

“Statistically, it was quite possible. Statistically… But it seems there was a variable we didn’t know about. Hoo~.”

Konishi, letting out a sigh, looked at his staff with a determined expression.

“I’ll say it again, there’s no way out for us! Only advancing will save us! We can only return alive if we advance and capture the Empire’s Emperor! Keep this in mind and think of solutions!”

“Yes, sir!”

While Konishi and his staff were racking their brains for a solution, the sailors on the transport ship were talking in low voices in one corner of the bridge.

“Wouldn’t it be better to negotiate?”

“Do you think the Empire, after being backstabbed, would negotiate?”

“Then, what about surrender….”

“Those samurai lords? Don’t even think about it. We can only pray that we drop them off as quickly as possible and return safely.”

“This is infuriating….”

* * *

According to the plan hastily revised by Konishi and his staff, the movement of the transport fleet changed.

First, among the motorized boats assigned to the transport fleet that had carried the vanguard, the surviving motorized boats were merged into the second wave.

-Secure as many motorized boats as possible to land as many troops as possible as quickly as possible.

Konishi and his staff also added a trick.

-Select the motorized boats among the surviving ones that are no longer capable of carrying out operations and load them with cannons.

-Beach the motorized boats loaded with cannons on the coast and use them as fixed gun emplacements.

“We must answer cannons with cannons.”

“That’s right.”

The staff members, nodding their heads, glared at the naval officer sitting on one side.

“If those damn navy guys had done their part….”

In the initial plan, the large-caliber main guns of the naval warships were supposed to be used to suppress the coastal defense facilities.

According to the plan hastily put together when they came to Boryeong, they were supposed to run aground on the coastline and operate the ships as fixed gun emplacements.

However, it was impossible to expect this from the Japanese navy, which was now floundering out there.

No, even if they weren’t floundering, it was impossible to run aground on the coastline.

Because of the mudflats.

The officer dispatched from the navy to assist with the landing operation explained as best he could.

“If it weren’t for the mudflats, this would have been a perfectly feasible tactic! If it weren’t for the mudflats, I tell you! Why is even the land and sea of the Empire so malicious!”

At the naval officer’s protest, Konishi’s staff members nodded their heads without realizing it.

“I can’t help but agree.”

* * *

While the Japanese naval fleet, unable to even run aground as they pleased due to the mudflats, was floundering in the sea, Konishi’s second wave began its full-scale landing.

“Charge!”

“Waaaaaah!”

As the doors of the motorized boats opened, Konishi’s soldiers began to charge, shouting battle cries.

Tatatatatang!

Bang! Pow!

As the Empire’s Hwachas and cannons were spewing fire at Konishi’s soldiers who were once again filling the beach, a group of motorized boats dropped anchor at both ends of the coast.

These were the motorized boats that had been loaded with cannons according to the plan hastily put together by the staff members.

“Firmly secured.”

“Good work. Then, goodbye….”

The captain and sailors of the motorized boat saluted the artillery officer and boarded the small boat they had towed, returning to the transport ship.

The artillery officer, watching the departing boat with a complicated expression, soon composed himself and turned to shout at his subordinates.

“Prepare to fire!”

“Yes, sir!”

“The target is the defensive position on that coastline! Load!”

“Load! Loading complete!”

“Aiming complete!”

“Fire!”

Bang!

At the artillery officer’s shout, the three cannons mounted on the motorized boat spewed fire.

The Japanese cannons, positioned on both sides of the coast according to the plan devised by the staff members, struck the Empire’s coastal defense positions.

“Supporting fire!”

“Supporting fire!”

The damage inflicted on the Empire’s defensive positions was not very great, but it was a barrage that instilled great courage in the charging Japanese soldiers.

The Japanese soldiers, emboldened by the fact that their own artillery was supporting them, continued their charge with renewed vigor.

In response, the Empire Army’s temporary headquarters in charge of Boryeong also began to respond.

“The mighty Empire Army! In the Empire’s homeland! Being pushed back by artillery fire? If something like that happens, you’ll be the first to die!”

“Leave it to us!”

“Who do these guys think they’re doing artillery in front of!”