Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 12

Extracurricular 12. The 1592 Southern Sea Battle. (12)

The staff officers of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, unaware of Yi Sun-sin’s intentions, continued to argue with Lee Ju that Yi Sun-sin’s orders were unreasonable.

-Submarines alone cannot stop the Japanese attacking fleet.

-The 3rd Mobile Fleet departed from Wonsan. Considering the sailing distance from Wonsan to Jeju Island, it will take at least 10 *shijin* [approximately 20 hours, an old Korean unit of time] even if sailing at full speed.

By the time the 3rd Mobile Fleet arrives in Jeju Island, the Japanese fleet will be far to the north.

“…Therefore, Yi Sun-sin’s plan is not reasonable.”

“Not reasonable.”

“That’s right! We must receive command from the Joint Chiefs of Staff right now!”

Lee Ju nodded slightly at the words of the staff officer who came forward as a representative, and muttered inwardly.

‘So, that’s what it was.’

Lee Ju realized why the staff officers of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were so persistently questioning Yi Sun-sin’s strategy.

-If Yi Sun-sin continues to hold all the power and move as he does now, there will be no way for them to escape responsibility.

-Although they suffered a surprise and fatal blow, the Empire overwhelms Japan with its mainland military power alone.

-In the end, the conclusion of the Empire’s victory is obvious.

-If they were to have command, they would be able to avoid criticism based on this victory.

-Therefore, they must take command away from Yi Sun-sin no matter what.

“Hmm….”

Lee Ju could not contain the rising anger at the sight of the staff officers raising their voices to regain command from Yi Sun-sin.

However, Lee Ju, who endured his anger with superhuman effort, asked the staff officers.

“Alright. Then what is your plan?”

At Lee Ju’s question, the staff officers began to put forward their ideas in a hurry.

“First, we will move the West Sea Fleet south and advance the South Sea Fleet to the West Sea to attempt a joint attack.”

“We can scramble the flying crafts [aircraft] from the still-intact flying craft bases in Chungcheong and Honam to intercept the Japanese fleet! After that, if we send out the second wave from the flying craft bases in the Gyeonggi area….”

“Stop.”

When Lee Ju raised his hand and ordered them to stop, the staff officers closed their mouths.

Lee Ju, who silenced the staff officers, pointed out the problem.

“As I recall, what you are talking about now doesn’t seem to be much different from what you said just now, does it?”

“….”

“Hoo~. You guys just watch.”

“However, Your Majesty! The chain of command is still alive!”

“Royal Guards!”

Lee Ju called the Royal Guard soldiers, pointed to the staff officer in question with his finger, and then pointed outside.

“Imprison him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Yo, Your Majesty!”

As another staff officer was dragged out, everyone, including the Minister of National Defense, closed their mouths with pale faces. Lee Ju, looking at their faces, which were filled with fear and only looking at each other’s faces, continued in a voice full of coldness.

“According to the military strategy I learned, the general who engages in battle must first check the enemy’s location and the geography of the place where the battle will take place. Even if there is no need to question the geography since it is the mainland’s sea, shouldn’t the first thing to do be to find out where the Japanese are now? However, no one but Yi Sun-sin is even considering that issue. Does this make sense?”

At Lee Ju’s criticism, the Minister of National Defense and the Chief of the Joint Staff bowed their heads to the floor.

“And since the chain of command is being brought up, why do you keep questioning my orders? Do you think you are above me?”

“N, no! That is absolutely not the case!”

“Then shut your mouths. You have no right to speak, just for allowing the surprise attack on Jeju Island.”

“….”

“If it was a surprise attack during a war, I would not have blamed you. However, since this happened because you ignored the warning of a surprise attack before the war, I have no choice but to hold you accountable.”

The Minister of National Defense and the Chief of the Joint Staff had no choice but to resign themselves to Lee Ju’s judgment.

At that time, the communications officer came in and reported to Lee Ju.

“The 3rd Mobile Fleet Commander’s order has come in again.”

“Report it.”

“‘The flying craft bases in Chungcheong and Honam will prepare for battle. However, the battle command will be under the command of the officers of the 3rd Mobile Fleet who will arrive soon. This is a temporary measure to facilitate the smooth operation of my tactics.’ That is all.”

As soon as these words were finished, another officer came in and reported to Lee Ju.

“Additional orders from the 3rd Mobile Fleet Commander.”

“Read it.”

“The flying craft bases in the Gyeonggi area will also prepare for battle. The army’s flying crafts will be armed with general fire bombs, and the navy’s flying crafts will be armed with self-propelled fire bombs.”

“Hoo?”

While Lee Ju was showing curiosity at Yi Sun-sin’s order, another officer came in again.

“Your Majesty! From the 3rd Mobile Fleet Commander….”

“Communications from the 3rd Mobile Fleet should be read immediately without formalities.”

“Yes! ‘Request to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Hope to obtain prior consent from the Ming Dynasty [China].'”

“Ming? Why Ming here?”

While the Minister of National Defense was unknowingly expressing his doubts, Lee Ju chuckled and ordered the eunuch.

“Have all the other ministers arrived?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Order the Minister of Foreign Affairs to bring the Ming Dynasty ambassador.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lee Ju, who gave the order, looked at the map and muttered as if to be heard.

“Yi Sun-sin said that Japan would come up through the high seas between Ming and our Empire. Then Yi Sun-sin will try to stop Japan in the high seas. So, he is asking for Ming’s consent. Then….”

Lee Ju glared at the Minister of National Defense and the Chief of the Joint Staff and continued.

“Helping the general to fight properly will also be the role of the monarch.”

While the Ming Dynasty ambassador was rushing to Gyeongbok Palace [main royal palace of Korea] following the order delivered through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the communications officers were busily moving again.

“Order to the 2nd Mobile Fleet! Prepare for the 3rd Japanese attack!”

“Order to the anti-aircraft unit stationed in Jeju Island! Prepare for the 3rd attack!”

Lee Ju nodded at Yi Sun-sin’s continued orders.

“That’s right. Even if I were the Japanese, I would have to do it up to the 3rd time to feel relieved. But is he just going to keep defending?”

As if knowing Lee Ju’s mind, the communications officer came in with new news.

“Urgent report from the submarines of the 3rd Mobile Fleet! They say they are successfully hunting!”

* * *

The Imperial Navy’s submarines, which had set out on the hunt, began to tie down the Japanese Navy.

“Surface at 10 o’clock! Periscope trace detected!”

At the report of the lookout, the Japanese destroyers at the outermost edge of the Japanese fleet turned their direction all at once and set out to hunt the Imperial Navy submarines.

Seeing the Japanese destroyers rushing at full speed, the Imperial submarines surfaced all at once and began to flee at full speed.

This was because it was difficult to outrun the Japanese destroyers while submerged.

Kuki Yoshitaka, who received the report sent by the Japanese destroyers that had set out in pursuit, immediately asked a question.

“‘Multiple submarines’? How many exactly?”

“As far as we have confirmed so far, there are five.”

“What is the number of allied destroyers that have set out in pursuit?”

“There are twelve.”

“Hmm….”

Kuki Yoshitaka began to calculate inwardly.

‘The Empire has a total of 36 submarines stationed on the mainland. According to the information, the number of submarines that can move in the West Sea is 12. The rest must all be in the East Sea now, so it would be impossible to come right away. Let’s see…. 5 out of 12 is almost half.’

Having calculated that far, Kuki Yoshitaka gave an order.

“Send out 6 more destroyers.”

“Yes, sir!”

According to Kuki Yoshitaka’s order, 6 destroyers additionally joined the chase.

Soon, a noisy game of hide-and-seek with depth charges and self-propelled fire bombs going back and forth took place between the Japanese Navy destroyers and the Imperial submarines.

However, this was Kuki Yoshitaka’s misjudgment.

Of the 24 submarines that Kuki Yoshitaka judged to be in the East Sea, 16 were already aiming at the Japanese fleet, and the submarines playing a noisy game of hide-and-seek over there were bait.

“The Japanese destroyers are pulling out.”

The captain nodded slightly at the words of the adjutant who confirmed that the Japanese destroyer moving at full speed was passing overhead with a loud noise, and gave an order.

“Slowly ascend to periscope depth.”

“Yes.”

The Empire’s submarines, which had been submerged to the point of running aground in the shallow seabed of the West Sea and the South Sea, slowly began to rise.

This was to prevent the Japanese Navy above the surface from noticing even if air bubbles escaped along with water from the reservoir – the modern ballast tank – which maintains the depth while ascending in a hurry.

“Periscope depth.”

The captain, who put his eyes on the eyepiece, checked his surroundings and soon discovered a delicious target and began to issue orders step by step.

In accordance with the captain’s order, the submarine’s crew turned the bow toward the target and finished preparing to launch the self-propelled fire bomb.

“Ready!”

“Launch!”

“Launch!”

Shortly after, the submarine vibrated lightly due to the vibration created when the self-propelled fire bomb was launched.

“Descend again!”

“Yes!”

The submarine that launched the self-propelled fire bomb lowered its depth again.

Meanwhile, the adjutant, who confirmed that the self-propelled fire bomb had been launched safely, looked at the second hand of the watch in his hand.

The closer the time he expected the launched self-propelled fire bomb to hit the target, the more nervous the adjutant’s face became.

Koo-oong.

When the second hand passed a little more than the expected time, a dull explosion shook the hull.

“Hit!”

“Wow!”

The submarine crew cheered all at once. Soon, similar explosions continued to be heard.

On the transport ships attacked by the Imperial submarines, all hell broke loose.

The hull of the transport ship was too weak to withstand the attack of the self-propelled fire bomb. Therefore, even though only one self-propelled fire bomb hit, the transport ship began to tilt to the side.

“Sinking!”

“Escape!”

“Escape!”

The Japanese army soldiers on board the transport ship screamed and jumped off the tilting hull.

However, the problem was that the battle was in full swing and it was winter sea.

The surviving transport ships were preoccupied with their own survival rather than rescue, and the destroyers were preoccupied with finding the Imperial submarines.

Those who barely succeeded in escaping but became forgotten beings had to survive another danger, the winter sea.

Meanwhile, Maeda Toshiie, who received the report on the situation, immediately ordered Kuki Yoshitaka.

“Slow down the fleet and start rescuing the survivors!”

“But if we do that, we will give the Empire time to prepare.”

“Have you forgotten who is on the transport ship! It’s the army, the army! Do you think a landing operation is possible with only the navy! Do you think we can capture the emperor in Seoul with only the navy!”

In the end, the Japanese fleet heading for Seoul had no choice but to be tied down.

Yi Sun-sin’s scheme had worked.

While a blood-boiling game of hide-and-seek continued between the Japanese destroyers and the Imperial submarines, the remaining Japanese warships set out to rescue survivors.

Even in the midst of this, the Imperial submarines fired self-propelled fire bombs at the Japanese transport ships whenever they had a chance.

Of course, the hit rate was very low because they were shooting during the chase, but the transport ships had no choice but to be in a state of chaos, and the movement of the Japanese fleet became even slower.

“It’s frustrating….”

“Unexpected things have happened.”

Maeda Toshiie and Kuki Yoshitaka analyzed the situation with troubled faces.

“No matter how I look at it, the movement of the Imperial submarines is not accidental. They knew in advance and waited.”

“I agree. Then was Jeju Island bait?”

At Maeda Toshiie’s question, Kuki Yoshitaka immediately shook his head.

“It’s not bait. It’s too big and powerful to be discarded as bait. And so is the Empire’s movement that has been shown so far. The situation was completely relaxed after the beginning of December.”

“That’s right. Then is it one of the field commanders after all?”

“I think that’s the most likely.”

“Hmm…. A field commander….”

Maeda Toshiie tapped the desk with his finger and considered various possibilities.

“If it’s a field commander, we still have a chance. Because the Joint Chiefs of Staff must move first for the entire Imperial Army to move.”

Kuki Yoshitaka nodded at Maeda Toshiie’s point.

“One of the weaknesses of the Imperial Army is its lack of flexibility.”

“Then we must use that point to make up for the lost time. As soon as the situation is resolved, we will move north through the high seas.”

“Yes, sir!”

If the Japanese army moved in these high seas, it would be even more difficult for the Imperial Army’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, who are famous for their lack of flexibility, to keep up.

However, they had forgotten what kind of temper the emperors of the Empire had had for generations.