Battle of Hansan Island

Coordinates: 34°45′44″N 128°30′09″E / 34.7622°N 128.5025°E / 34.7622; 128.5025
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Battle of Hansan Island
Hansan Island
Result Korean victory
Belligerents Fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Joseon
navyCommanders and leaders
Kato Yoshiaki
Yi Eok-gi
Won Gyun
Strength Hansando:
36 large ships
[1]
24 medium vessels[2]
13 small boats[2]
Angolpo:
42 ships[2] 56 warships[3]
3 turtle shipsCasualties and losses ~100 ships[4] 19 dead[4]
114 wounded[4]

The Battle of Hansan Island (Korean한산도대첩) and following engagement at Angolpo took place on 8 July 1592. In two naval encounters, Korean Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fleet managed to destroy roughly 100 Japanese ships and halted Japanese naval operations along the southern coast.[4]

Battle of Hansan Island
Hangul
한산도대첩
Hanja
閑山島大捷
Revised RomanizationHansan-do Daecheop
McCune–ReischauerHansan-do Taech'ŏp

Background

Noryang, bringing their total fleet strength to 56 warships. At Dangpo, they received news of a Japanese fleet sailing west from Busan.[2] Wakizaka Yasuharu’s fleet of 73 ships entered Gyeonnaeryang
.

Battle

Hansan Island Coastal Sea, where the naval battle took place

On 8 July, Yi Sun-sin's fleet encountered a Japanese scout vessel and gave chase but broke off after sighting a large fleet of Japanese warships in

Wakizaka Yasuharu managed to withdraw to Gimhae.[2]

News of the Japanese defeat reached Busan within hours and two Japanese commanders,

Kato Yoshiaki, immediately set sail with 42 ships for the port of Angolpo, where they hoped to face the Korean fleet close to shore.[2]

Yi Sun-sin received news of their movements on 15 August and he advanced towards Angolpo to confront them. This time the Japanese were unwilling to follow the Koreans into open water and stayed onshore. They would not take the bait. In response the Korean fleet moved forwards and bombarded the anchored Japanese fleet for hours until they retreated inland. Later the Japanese returned and escaped on small boats. Both Kuki and Kato survived the battle.[4]

Aftermath

Won Gyun was left behind to mop up Japanese soldiers marooned on a small isle, but fled after receiving a false report of a large Japanese fleet approaching. The Japanese managed to drift to shore using rafts made from the wreckage of their ships.[4]

On 23 August,

Todo Takatora to reinforce operations in Korea and halted naval operations at Busan.[4]

International recognition

George Alexander Ballard (1862–1948), a vice admiral of British Royal Navy, complimented Admiral Yi's winning streaks by the Battle of Hansando highly:

"This was the great Korean admiral's crowning exploit. In the short space of six weeks [actually about 9 weeks, May 7, 1592 – July 7, 1592] he had achieved a series of successes unsurpassed in the whole annals of maritime war, destroying the enemy's battle fleets, cutting his [Hideyoshi's] lines of communication, sweeping up his convoys, imperilling the situation of his victorious armies in the field, and bringing his ambitious schemes to utter ruin. Not even Nelson, Blake, or Jean Bart could have done more than this scarcely known representative of a small and cruelly oppressed nation; and it is to be regretted that his memory lingers nowhere outside his native land, for no impartial judge could deny him the right to be accounted among the born leaders of men."[5]

Historians Hulbert also admired the naval battle, evaluating it as follows.

"This is the Battle of Salamis in Joseon. This naval battle is the death sentence for Toyotomi's invasion of Joseon."[6]

In popular culture

The battle is depicted in the 2022 film Hansan: Rising Dragon directed by Kim Han-min.[citation needed] The Battle of Hansando is also portrayed in episode 74 of the TV drama series Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Hawley 2005, p. 335.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Hawley 2005, p. 235.
  3. ^ Hawley 2005, p. 234.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Hawley 2005, p. 239.
  5. ^ The Influence of the Sea on The Political History of Japan, 57p
  6. ^ Korean Studies Institute. "한산도대첩". terms.naver.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2021-06-13. Retrieved 2021-06-13.

Bibliography

See also

34°45′44″N 128°30′09″E / 34.7622°N 128.5025°E / 34.7622; 128.5025