Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 17

Extranovel 17. 1592 Southern Sea Battle. (17)

The Imperial Navy’s night attacks using self-propelled explosive boats intensified.

Ambushing from the numerous islands, both large and small, in the West Sea—Wonsan Island, Seopsi Island, and Nok Island among them—the self-propelled explosive boats hunted the Japanese fleet’s warships. They were like schools of sharks tearing into whales, or pods of orcas hunting baleen whales.

“Chikusho! [Damn it!] These rat-like bastards!”

“What are the destroyers doing!”

The captains of the cruisers and battleships cursed, frantically searching for their own destroyers.

However, many of the Japanese Navy destroyers they sought had already been sunk or were stranded on nearby islands.

This was the result of ambushes suffered while already weakened by damage, both minor and major, from the daytime battle. Moreover, the self-propelled explosive boats specifically targeted the Japanese Navy’s destroyers first.

Bang! Kaboom!

A tremendous explosion ripped through the Japanese Navy cruiser Nagara, flames erupting skyward.

Bang!

Close behind, the cruiser Tone was also struck by a self-propelled explosive boat and reeled violently.

In that moment, the captains of the Japanese cruisers and battleships realized something crucial.

“Turn off the searchlights! Turn off the searchlights!”

For the Imperial Navy’s self-propelled explosive boats, the Japanese Navy’s searchlights, sweeping in all directions, were acting as perfect target indicators.

-The enemy ship is wherever the searchlight is pointing!

Realizing that the Empire’s self-propelled explosive boats were using their searchlights as guides, the captains of the Japanese cruisers and battleships hurriedly ordered them switched off.

However, this decision proved disastrous.

Quite a few warships were already ablaze, having been hit in vulnerable spots.

Thanks to the fires raging on the Japanese warships, the Empire’s self-propelled explosive boats were able to continue their attacks, striking and retreating with deadly efficiency. The burning ships provided ample illumination.

On the other hand, the Japanese cruisers and battleships, now forced onto the defensive, found themselves in an even more precarious situation with the searchlights extinguished.

“Do not use the main guns!”

“Suppress the Empire’s torpedo boats with anti-aircraft guns!”

The Japanese cruisers and battleships were forced to engage the Empire’s self-propelled explosive boats with their anti-aircraft guns.

The main guns, their most powerful weapons, were rendered useless due to the close-quarters nature of the engagement and the risk of friendly fire.

To make matters worse, turning off the searchlights placed an immense burden on the lookouts.

They had to watch for approaching Imperial self-propelled explosive boats or self-propelled explosives while simultaneously trying to avoid collisions with friendly ships.

If they failed in either of these tasks….

“Friendly ship ahead! Evade! Evade!”

“Hard to starboard!”

Upon hearing the lookout’s frantic warning through the voice tube, the captain of the cruiser Natori desperately ordered a turn, but it was already too late.

Crash!

Natori and its sister ship Isuzu collided with a deafening crash, their momentum impossible to overcome. The two cruisers, striking each other at a glancing angle, ground to a halt, the crews of both vessels thrown from their feet by the impact.

“Aaaagh!”

“My arm! My arm!”

“Ugh…”

“Medic!”

Among the soldiers who fell and rolled on the steel decks, many suffered fractures or concussions. Even the medics, who should have been providing first aid or transporting the injured to the infirmary, were injured themselves, leading to utter chaos.

And the Empire’s self-propelled explosive boats did not miss this golden opportunity.

“Port side! Multiple torpedo wakes! Coming this way!”

The captain of Natori, hearing the lookout’s scream-like shout, muttered with a resigned expression.

“It’s already too late…. It’s over.”

However, the captain of Natori quickly regained his composure and shouted into the speaking tube.

“This is the captain! Prepare for torpedo attack!”

Shortly after, massive explosions ripped through the sides of Nagara and Isuzu.

Nagara and Isuzu, each struck by three or more self-propelled explosives, began to sink rapidly.

The decks of Nagara and Isuzu, sinking further and further below the surface, were swarming with Japanese Navy sailors desperately trying to escape.

Most of the Japanese sailors who emerged onto the deck to escape the sinking ships jumped into the sea without a second thought.

Some were lucky enough to find space on lifeboats, but the majority were forced to fight a desperate battle, not against the enemy, but against their fellow sailors clinging to the same lifeboats.

* * *

While the Japanese Navy was suffering its worst defeat, misfortune also befell the Japanese Army on the transport ships.

When the Japanese fleet arrived at Boryeong, the tide was just beginning to turn from high to low.

As a vast mudflat began to emerge, the transport ships carrying the Japanese Army were forced to halt, unable to proceed.

“Why have we stopped!”

Kato Kiyomasa, in charge of the vanguard of the landing force, was furious and demanded an explanation from the captain of the transport ship.

Despite Kato Kiyomasa rushing at him as if he intended to kill him, the captain pointed outside, insisting that the situation was unavoidable.

“Do you see those mudflats? If we go in there, we’ll be stuck fast. We have to wait until the tide comes in again.”

“It’s just a mudflat! We can break through with spirit! [A common Japanese motivational phrase emphasizing willpower and determination.]”

“It’s not just a mudflat! We’ll die if we’re not careful!”

“Advance!”

“I can’t! My mission is to safely land the landing force’s strength!”

Faced with the captain’s stubborn refusal, Kato Kiyomasa drew a pistol from his waist and pointed it at the captain’s forehead.

“That’s an order. Charge to the beach immediately.”

“Impossi….”

Bang! Kaboom!

The moment the captain was about to say ‘impossible,’ a massive explosion echoed from behind.

The captain and Kato, hearing the explosion, rushed out of the bridge to assess the situation.

The captain, seeing flames, explosions, and gunfire raging where the Japanese Navy fleet was gathered, turned to Kato.

“It seems to be the work of the Imperial Navy’s torpedo boats. I will charge to the beach immediately.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“The mudflat will block the torpedoes. If we can maintain our balance when we run aground, we can advance further inland when the tide comes in.”

Kato Kiyomasa, understanding the captain’s reasoning, immediately nodded.

“I’ll trust you, Captain. Is there anything I can do?”

“Tell the soldiers to prepare for impact.”

“Understood.”

Soon, the landing force soldiers, hearing Kato Kiyomasa’s order, sat down on the deck to brace for the impact.

The captain of the transport ship carrying Kato Kiyomasa used a flashing signal to inform the other transport ships to charge as well.

In response, the transport ships carrying the vanguard troops simultaneously increased their speed and headed for the mudflat.

Konishi Yukinaga, the commander of the second wave, observing the movement of the vanguard, asked the captain of his transport ship.

“What do you think?”

“It’s true that the mudflat will block the torpedoes. But passing through that mudflat is definitely not easy.”

“Then is it best to wait here?”

“In my opinion, it is the best option. The Empire’s torpedo boats won’t bother with us. They’ll be too busy targeting the warships out there.”

“So, we just stay quiet like mice?”

“That’s right. Safely running aground on a mudflat is not easy even under normal circumstances. But in the midst of this chaos, and at night? It’s better not to attempt it at all.”

“Hmm….”

Konishi, after listening to the captain’s explanation and pondering for a moment, soon made a decision.

“Alright. Let’s follow the captain’s suggestion.”

Thus, the transport fleet carrying Konishi’s second wave gathered on one side and quietly observed the situation.

Meanwhile, the transport ships of the first wave, which had chosen to charge, ran aground on the mudflat.

Some transport ships were lucky enough to run aground while maintaining their balance, but many more were tilted precariously to one side.

The Japanese Army soldiers on the transport ships that had run aground in such a tilted state swallowed hard and waited for the tide to come in.

However, this was the worst possible choice.

There were mudflats in Japan as well, so the captains of the transport ships believed they knew how to escape from mudflats.

However, the mudflats of the West Sea were far more extensive and treacherous than those of Japan. Moreover, the West Sea was notorious for its shallow waters and strong currents.

And the captains began to realize the true extent of their predicament as the tide began to rise.

* * *

Even at midnight, the Imperial Navy’s night raids continued relentlessly.

The captains of the transport fleet listened to the sounds of the fierce battle raging in the distance and desperately waited for the tide to come in.

And finally, the moment they had been waiting for arrived.

“The water is coming in!”

As the seawater began to rush in, the soldiers on the transport ships that had tilted while running aground all rushed to the opposite side.

This was a desperate attempt to maintain balance as safely as possible the moment they refloated.

Creak! Creak!

With the unsettling sound of the ship’s frame groaning and twisting, the grounded ships began to float, little by little.

“It’s floating! It’s floating!”

“Hold on tight!”

As the seawater filled the mudflat, the grounded ships began to refloat, but some ships were doomed from the start.

These were the ships that were tilted too severely to one side. Seawater began to pour into the interiors of those ships.

“Water is coming in!”

The transport ships that failed to break free from the grounding desperately began to lower their landing crafts.

“Get on the landing crafts!”

Amidst these shouts echoing from all directions, the Japanese soldiers, taking only their personal weapons, began to board the landing crafts.

However, the number of landing crafts was insufficient to carry all the soldiers at once, and inevitably, the landing craft commanders had to drop off the soldiers at the nearest beach and return for more.

It was a reasonable method in theory, but it offered little comfort to the soldiers remaining on the ships.

“It’s better to walk!”

“That’s better! The water is still shallow! It’s better to move before more seawater comes in!”

With these shouts coming from all directions, the Japanese soldiers jumped into the sea fully armed.

It was the beginning of a tragedy.

The mud of the West Sea’s mudflat was a treacherous swamp.

The soldiers’ feet sank deep into the mudflat, their weight compounded by the weight of their heavy equipment.

“Chikusho! [Damn it!]”

The soldiers, their feet trapped in the mud, cursed and struggled to pull themselves free.

However, the more they struggled, the deeper their feet sank.

Eventually, the soldiers threw off their packs and continued to move forward with only their rifles.

However, the speed of the incoming seawater was faster than the soldiers’ progress. The water, which had been lapping at their waists, was now up to their chests.

“We have to get to land quickly!”

The soldiers, losing their composure and rational thought, began to move in an even more reckless manner.

As they exerted more force to reach land quickly, they sank deeper and deeper into the mud.

And the first victims began to appear.

The moment they stumbled while forcibly moving, their arms and legs were completely buried in the mud and submerged in the water.

It was only about chest-deep, but it was a fatal depth for soldiers who had lost their judgment and were trapped in the sucking mud.

And the frigid winter seawater rapidly sapped the soldiers’ body heat.

As time passed, most of the soldiers who had made the wrong choice met a miserable end.

One of the reasons why Yi Sun-sin had chosen Boryeong as a battlefield was this very mudflat, and the mudflat was exceeding all expectations in its deadly effectiveness.

When the landing crafts returned after dropping off the soldiers, the number of soldiers waiting had been reduced by half.

A momentary choice had become the dividing line between life and death.