Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 519

519. The Decisive Battle (3)

Doong! Doong! Doong! Bboooo-!

A low platform had been erected in front of the command tower. A large drum placed on the platform resonated with heavy drumbeats in all directions, followed by the blare of a large conch shell (a trumpet made from a conch’s shell). As the sounds of drums and trumpets swelled, boosting the soldiers’ morale, the soldiers on both sides began to advance towards each other.

The vanguard of both formations were the musketeers.

* * *

Before the advent of musketeers, archers held the forefront. Prior to that, cavalry led the charge, and one-on-one duels often served as the prelude to war.

It was a classical method where renowned warriors from opposing sides would step forward, introduce themselves, and engage in a contest of skill.

Even when the Yuan Empire, allied with Goryeo [a Korean kingdom], set out to conquer Japan, Japan insisted on this practice.

When a distinguished Japanese general emerged to announce himself, the Mongol army responded with a volley of arrows.

Only after enduring such harsh lessons did Japan abandon the battle method they called ‘Ikkuchi’ (one-on-one combat).

As battle tactics evolved, archers came to the forefront. This shift stemmed from the inherent limitations of Japanese bows.

The maximum effective range of a Japanese pirate’s bow was approximately 20 ‘jang’ (about 60 meters or 197 feet).

At that distance, if enemy infantry charged at full speed, archers were fortunate to release two or three arrows.

Consequently, when enemies closed within bow range, the archers would immediately retreat, and the infantry would step forward.

The cavalry, stationed behind the infantry, would then move to exploit a victory or cover a retreat, expanding gains or tying up pursuing enemies.

With the introduction of musketeers, they naturally took the vanguard position.

This was because Joseon’s [ancient Korean kingdom] long muskets demonstrated considerable accuracy within 25 ‘jang’ (approximately 75 meters or 246 feet), and even provided reliable suppressive fire against enemy formations beyond 40 ‘jang’ (approximately 120 meters or 394 feet).

* * *

From the command tower, Mochiyo directly oversaw the battle, monitoring the soldiers’ movements.

“It’s too dangerous, my lord. Please allow me to take over here.”

A subordinate general, concerned for his safety, earnestly requested him to step back, but Mochiyo firmly shook his head.

“The fate of our family rests on this battle. I will not retreat.”

The generals, recognizing the resolve in Mochiyo’s answer – a sentiment Hyang would have often heard had he been present – had no choice but to yield.

After dismissing his subordinates, Mochiyo surveyed the battlefield through a monocle.

“The enemy has entered within 60 ‘jang’ (approximately 180 meters or 591 feet)!”

Confirming that the shogunate army’s vanguard had advanced within that range, Mochiyo lowered his monocle and waved his fan.

“Fire the Bigyeokjincheonleis! [Korean siege weapon, a type of exploding cannonball]”

“Fire!”

At the generals’ command, Ouchi’s artillerymen simultaneously lit the fuses.

Boom! Pow!

The Bigyeokjincheonleis, propelled skyward by powerful explosions, rained down upon the musketeers at the forefront of the shogunate army.

Bang! Kwabang!

“Aaaagh!”

“Ack!”

The deafening explosions sent dozens of musketeers screaming to the ground.

The shogunate army’s musketeer commanders urgently shouted, attempting to direct the shocked soldiers.

“Disperse! Disperse!”

“Spread out to the left and right and advance!”

“Their cannons can’t easily change direction! Disperse and advance!”

* * *

Joseon had implemented a subtle measure when providing the cannons.

The gun carriages were replaced with versions that were only durable enough for transport. Firing the cannons while mounted on these carriages would cause them to collapse due to the recoil.

– Unless they’re complete imbeciles, they can’t possibly lose with the arsenal we’ve provided. And once the war concludes, they’ll undoubtedly attempt to replicate them.

Consequently, the cannons had to be detached from their carriages and firmly secured to the ground before battle commenced.

Hyang offered a justification that was both true and misleading.

“Cannons are most effectively used when firmly fixed to the ground.”

And this statement was not entirely inaccurate.

* * *

Maintaining order and dispersing under a barrage of Bigyeokjincheonleis proved challenging.

Kwabang! Bang!

“Ugh! Ack!”

“Maintain order! Maintain order!”

The shogunate army’s musketeer commanders gritted their teeth, struggling to direct their troops. Only after resorting to the drastic measure of executing several soldiers who had panicked and were causing chaos did the shogunate army’s musketeers begin to spread out.

However, the dispersion was slow. This gave Ouchi’s artillerymen ample time to adjust their aim.

Bang! Kwabang!

As the Ouchi artillerymen tracked the shogunate army’s musketeers, the central part of the vanguard managed to escape the bombardment.

At that moment, a thunderous drumbeat erupted from the shogunate army’s formation.

In sync with the drums, the shogunate’s cavalry charged towards the center.

Doo-doo-doo-doo

The cavalry, bearing flags emblazoned with the emblems of the three main families (三管) [Sankan, powerful families within the shogunate] at the heart of the shogunate, lowered their short spears and charged towards Ouchi’s musketeers.

This was the shogunate army signaling a general assault.

* * *

The Ouchi army’s musketeers were superior to the shogunate army in both numbers and quality. Furthermore, the firepower of the Bigyeokjincheonleis surpassed that of the fragmentation bombs produced in Ming [Chinese dynasty].

However, Ouchi’s Joseon-made flintlock muskets required time to reload, and the Bigyeokjincheonleis took time to reposition.

The shogunate identified this vulnerability.

-Use our musketeers to draw the enemy’s bombardment and then charge with the cavalry.

-The cavalry’s speed will allow us to break through the enemy lines before their musketeers can reload.

-We will suffer significant losses among our musketeers, but it’s a necessary sacrifice. If we don’t place the musketeers on the front line, they won’t be fooled.

Based on this assessment, the shogunate army used the sacrifice of their musketeers to negate Ouchi’s bombardment and then launched their cavalry.

* * *

When the shogunate army initiated a general assault, Ouchi responded in kind.

As soon as the shogunate army’s cavalry charged, Ouchi’s musketeers retreated, replaced by Ouchi’s pikemen.

“As expected! They’re worth the training!”

Mochiyo wore a proud expression as he watched the exchange unfold seamlessly without a major collision.

As soon as the pikemen took their positions, their commanders shouted.

“Form a phalanx!”

“Waaaah!”

At the commanders’ command, the pikemen knelt on one knee with a shout and raised their spears diagonally.

Hee-hee-hing!

The charging cavalry’s horses screamed as they approached Ouchi’s phalanx, stopping abruptly. The spear tips were positioned at a height that threatened the horses’ heads, causing them to instinctively balk.

Some horses, unable to overcome their momentum, crashed into Ouchi’s pikemen’s formation, becoming impaled on the spears. The knights who fell with their horses were quickly dispatched by the pikemen’s blades before they could even rise.

While the cavalry floundered within the pikemen’s phalanx, Ouchi’s musketeers, who had retreated, took aim.

“Fire!”

Ta-ta-tang!

The shogunate army’s cavalry, caught in Ouchi’s musketeers’ concentrated fire, began to collapse.

The surviving cavalry hastily turned their horses to retreat.

As the shogunate army’s cavalry withdrew, Ouchi’s pikemen raised their fists in victory.

“Uooo!”

“Waaaah!”

However, before their shouts could subside, the shogunate army launched a second assault.

They had positioned their artillery in the front while Ouchi’s attention was focused on the cavalry.

They seized the opportunity to utilize their Ming-made cannons, which had a shorter range than the Joseon-made cannons.

As soon as the Ming-made cannons were in position, a barrage commenced between Ouchi and the shogunate army.

Bang! Kwabang!

Shells rained down from both sides, decimating soldiers in all directions. Mochiyo stretched his fan forward.

“Pikemen and musketeers, advance!”

“Hah!”

“Advance! Advance!”

Following Mochiyo’s command, Ouchi’s musketeers and pikemen began to advance.

After confirming the soldiers’ advance, Mochiyo continued his command.

“Tell the artillerymen to target the shogunate army’s artillery!”

“Hah!”

At Mochiyo’s command, Ouchi’s artillerymen began to fire Bigyeokjincheonleis at the shogunate army’s artillery positions.

Bang! Kwakwakwang!

The Bigyeokjincheonleis triggered a chain reaction, causing a massive explosion in the shogunate army’s artillery position. However, the shogunate army retaliated, and a bloody battle erupted between the artillerymen on both sides.

Even as shells exploded overhead, Ouchi’s pikemen and musketeers continued their steady advance.

Seeing this, the shogunate’s musketeers and pikemen regrouped and began to march.

The musketeers and pikemen of the two armies approached head-on in a tight formation.

Before long, the musketeers were at the forefront of both sides.

“Stop!”

When the distance between the two sides closed to about 15 ‘jang’ (approximately 45 meters or 148 feet), the commanders on both sides halted their troops.

“First row, aim!”

“Fire!”

As the deafening gunshots echoed across the battlefield, gunpowder smoke filled the air, and soldiers fell with screams.

“Second row, aim! Fire!”

Ta-ta-tang!

“Third row, aim! Fire!”

Tur-ta-tang!

The firing continued from the first to the third row, and the surviving soldiers diligently began to reload.

Around the time this firing cycle had completed twice and entered the third round, the battle’s outcome was decided.

“Fire!”

Ta-ta-tang!

Ouchi’s musketeers fired before the shogunate army’s musketeers could finish reloading.

“Fire!”

Ta-ta-tang!

“Fire!”

Ta-ta-tang!

“Aaaagh!”

“Run away!”

The shogunate musketeers, unable to withstand the barrage of gunfire before they had even finished reloading, began to desert the front lines.

This was also a consequence of Joseon’s subtle strategy.

* * *

When Joseon supplied the flintlock muskets, they also provided gunpowder and bullets that matched the caliber.

Instead of supplying them separately, Joseon provided them in the form of paper cartridges.

Combining the gunpowder and bullets for a single shot into one paper bundle offered a significant advantage in battle.

– It’s safer to shoot because you can’t accidentally use too much gunpowder.

-The oiled paper packaging is resistant to moisture.

– The oil in the paper aids in reloading and helps to wipe away gunpowder residue inside the barrel during the reloading process.

But the biggest advantage was the increased firing rate. Eliminating the need to measure gunpowder for each shot was a huge time-saver.

* * *

As the shogunate musketeers collapsed in the firefight, the shogunate formation began to crumble.

Confirming the enemy’s collapse, Mochiyo immediately gave the order.

“Send out the cavalry!”

“Hah!”

Soon after, the Ouchi army’s cavalry charged towards the shogunate camp. The remaining musketeers and artillerymen resisted, but they were quickly overwhelmed.

Watching the scene, Mochiyo clenched his fist.

“Tell the lords! Advance immediately!”

“Hah!”

Mochiyo, standing on the railing of the command tower, shouted to the soldiers below.

“The road to Kyoto is open!”

“Uoooo!”