Battle of Haengju

Coordinates: 37°35′44″N 126°49′44″E / 37.59556°N 126.82889°E / 37.59556; 126.82889
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Siege of Haengju Fortress
Part of
Joseon Korea
37°35′44″N 126°49′44″E / 37.59556°N 126.82889°E / 37.59556; 126.82889
Result Joseon victory
Belligerents Joseon
Toyotomi Japan
Commanders and leaders Gwon Yul Ukita Hideie
Konishi Yukinaga
Kuroda Nagamasa
Ishida Mitsunari
Kobayakawa TakakageStrength 2,300[1] 30,000[1]Casualties and losses ? 110+[2] (likely much more since the Japanese took the dead back with them)[3]
Battle of Haengju is located in Seoul
Battle of Haengju
Battle location on a map of modern Seoul
Battle of Haengju is located in South Korea
Battle of Haengju
Battle of Haengju (South Korea)
Battle of Haengju
Hangul
행주대첩
Hanja
幸州大捷
Revised RomanizationHaengju Daecheop
McCune–ReischauerHaengchu Taech'ŏp
The Koreans used the hwacha for concentrated fire against the Japanese.

The Battle of Haengju took place on 14 March 1593 during the 1592–1598 Japanese invasion of Korea. The Japanese attack failed to overcome Haengju fortress.

Background

Hanseong (modern Seoul) due to its proximity so the Japanese attacked it in March.[1]

The attack

The Japanese attack led by Konishi Yukinaga happened on 14 March 1593 with 30,000 men. They took turns attacking the stockade due to the limited space. The Koreans retaliated with arrows, cannons, and hwacha.[1]

After three attacks, one with siege tower, and one where Ishida Mitsunari was wounded, Ukita Hideie managed to breach the outer defenses and reach the inner wall. However he was wounded as well and had to fall back.[4]

In the last attack Kobayakawa Takakage burned a hole through the fort's log pilings, but the Koreans managed to hold them back long enough for it to be repaired.[4]

When the Koreans had nearly run out of arrows, I Bun arrived with supply ships containing 10,000 more arrows, and they continued to fight on until dusk when the Japanese retreated.[4]

Aftermath

Aside from the defeat, the Japanese situation became even more tenuous after Zha Dashou led a small group of raiders to

Hanseong, burning more than 6,500 tons of grain. This left the Japanese with less than a month of provisions.[5][6]

After several negotiations with Shen Weijing, the Japanese abandoned Hanseong on 17 May 1593. What Li Rusong and Song Yingchang witnessed upon entering the city was a people who "looked like ghosts."[7]

See also

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Hawley 2005, p. 318.
  2. ^ Swope 2009, p. 168.
  3. ^ Hawley 2005, p. 322.
  4. ^ a b c Hawley 2005, p. 321.
  5. ^ Hawley 2005, p. 323.
  6. ^ Swope 2009, p. 167.
  7. ^ Swope 2009, p. 170.

Bibliography

External links