Black Corporation: Joseon

Boom! Boom! Boom! Bwooo~!

A low platform stood before the command tower. A great drum placed on the platform spread deep drumbeats in all directions, followed by the sound of large conch shell horns. As drum and horn sounds raised the soldiers’ fighting spirit, troops on both sides began advancing toward each other.

At the head of these advancing formations on both sides were musketeers.

***

Before musketeers appeared, archers led the formations. And in the period before that, cavalry led the vanguard, with one-on-one duels marking the opening of battles.

It was a highly classical style where renowned warriors from both warring sides would come forward, introduce themselves to their opponents, and test their skills.

Even when the Yuan Empire launched its invasion of Japan together with Goryeo, Japan stubbornly maintained this style.

When a renowned Japanese general rushed forward to introduce himself, the Mongol army answered with a rain of arrows.

Only after such bitter experiences could Japan abandon their combat style called “ikkiuchi” (one-on-one combat).

As battle forms changed, archers came to stand at the front line. This was due to the unavoidable performance limitations of Japanese bows.

The Japanese pirates’ bows could achieve a maximum range of about 20 jang (about 60 meters) at best.

At such distances, they were lucky to get off two or three shots if enemy infantry charged at full speed.

Consequently, when enemies penetrated within bow range, archers immediately withdrew and infantry stepped forward.

The cavalry positioned behind the infantry would move to either expand their victories or tie down pursuing enemies once the battle’s outcome was decided.

With musketeers added to this formation, they took the vanguard position.

This was because Joseon-made muskets showed quite high accuracy when enemies entered within 25 jang (about 75 meters), and even showed definite effectiveness in suppressive fire against enemy groups beyond 40 jang (about 120 meters).

***

Atop the command tower, Mochiyo personally directed operations while monitoring the troops’ movements.

“It’s dangerous, my lord. Please leave it to the general.”

Though his subordinate commander earnestly requested he withdraw while warning of danger, Mochiyo firmly shook his head and said:

“Our family’s rise or fall hangs on this single battle. I absolutely will not withdraw.”

At Mochiyo’s firm answer – which Hyang would have said sounded familiar if he’d heard it – the commanders had no choice but to withdraw.

Having dismissed his subordinates, Mochiyo observed the battlefield through his telescope.

“The enemy has entered within 60 jang (about 180 meters)!”

Confirming the Shogunate army’s vanguard had entered within 60 jang, Mochiyo lowered his telescope and waved his fan.

“Fire the thunder-crash bombs!”

“Fire!”

At the commanders’ orders, Ouchi’s artillery crews simultaneously lit their fuses.

Bang! Boom!

With deep explosive sounds, thunder-crash bombs soared into the sky and fell among the Shogunate musketeers at the vanguard.

BOOM! KABOOM!

“ARGH!”

“AGH!”

Amid thunderous explosions, dozens of musketeers fell screaming.

The Shogunate musketeer commanders urgently shouted orders to direct their shocked troops.

“Disperse! Disperse!”

“Disperse left and right while advancing!”

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

***

Joseon had pulled a trick when handing over the cannons.

They replaced the gun carriages carrying the launchers with ones barely durable enough for transport. They made them so the recoil would collapse the carriages if fired while mounted.

• Unless they’re dumb as rocks, they can’t lose with what we gave them even if they want to. And they’ll definitely try to copy them when the war ends.

Due to such predictions, the launchers they provided had to be dismounted from the carriages and firmly fixed to the ground when battle began.

Even while pulling this trick, Hyang made an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse:

“Launchers are meant to be firmly fixed to the ground originally.”

And this wasn’t wrong.

***

Maintaining order while dispersing under thunder-crash bomb bombardment was no easy feat.

KABOOM! BOOM!

“ARGH! AGH!”

“Maintain order! Maintain order!”

The Shogunate musketeer commanders gritted their teeth while directing their troops. Only after taking the bold action of beheading several soldiers who completely lost their senses and caused chaos did the Shogunate musketeers begin spreading left and right.

However, their dispersal was slow. This gave Ouchi’s artillery time to adjust and turn their launchers.

BOOM! KABOOM!

As Ouchi’s artillery turned their launchers to follow the dispersing Shogunate musketeers, the center of the Shogunate vanguard escaped the bombardment.

At that moment, thunderous drumbeats began from the Shogunate formation.

And matching those drumbeats, Shogunate cavalry charged out through the center.

Thud-thud-thud-thud

The cavalry, bearing banners of the Three Administrator families – the Shogunate’s most core clans – gripped their lances and began charging toward Ouchi’s musketeers.

This was the Shogunate army calling “checkmate.”

***

Ouchi’s musketeers overwhelmed the Shogunate’s in both quantity and quality. Additionally, their thunder-crash bombs’ firepower surpassed Ming-made explosive shells.

However, Ouchi’s Joseon-made matchlock muskets still took time to reload, and turning thunder-crash bomb launchers took time.

The Shogunate found their opening here.

-Use their own musketeers to disperse enemy fire, then charge with cavalry.

-At cavalry speed, they could break through enemy lines before enemy musketeers could reload.

-Though their musketeer casualties would be considerable, this must be endured. If they didn’t put musketeers on the front line, the enemy wouldn’t be fooled.

Following this judgment, the Shogunate used their musketeer losses as a stepping stone to clear Ouchi’s bombardment from the center, then launched their cavalry.

***

When the Shogunate called checkmate, Ouchi called counter-check.

As soon as the Shogunate cavalry emerged, Ouchi’s musketeers withdrew. Simultaneously, Ouchi’s long spearmen rushed forward, switching places with the musketeers.

“Indeed! The training paid off!”

Watching the smooth exchange occur without major collision, Mochiyo’s face filled with satisfaction.

Having switched places with the musketeers, the spearmen’s commanders shouted as soon as they took position:

“Form defensive formation!”

“WOOO!”

At their commanders’ orders, the spearmen roared as they dropped to one knee and raised their spears at an angle.

Neigh!

The horses charging vigorously screeched to an urgent halt right before Ouchi’s defensive formation. With spear points at about horse head height, the horses instinctively feared them and stopped.

Of course, some horses couldn’t overcome momentum and collapsed into Ouchi’s spear formation, becoming skewered. Riders who fell with these horses had their breath cut short by the blades Ouchi’s spearmen thrust at them before they could properly stand.

While the cavalry lost mobility against the spear formation and fell into chaos, Ouchi’s withdrawn musketeers took aim at them.

“Fire!”

Ratattat!

Under concentrated fire from Ouchi’s musketeers, the Shogunate cavalry began collapsing like a wall.

Having taken severe damage from Ouchi’s musketeers, the Shogunate cavalry hurriedly began turning their horses around.

As the Shogunate cavalry began withdrawing, Ouchi’s spearmen raised their fists to the sky and shouted:

“WOO!”

“WOOO!”

But before their resounding cheers could even settle, the Shogunate called their second checkmate.

While Ouchi’s attention focused on the cavalry, they had positioned their artillery at the front.

They didn’t miss this opportunity to properly use their Ming-made launchers with shorter range than Joseon-made ones.

As soon as the Ming cannons properly took position, an artillery duel began between Ouchi and the Shogunate.

BOOM! KABOOM!

As shells fired from both sides steadily consumed soldiers everywhere, Mochiyo thrust his fan forward.

“Spearmen and musketeers advance!”

“Sir!”

“Advance! Forward!”

Following Mochiyo’s orders, Ouchi’s musketeers and spearmen began advancing.

Confirming the troops’ advance, Mochiyo continued his orders:

“Tell the artillery to target the Shogunate’s cannons!”

“Sir!”

At Mochiyo’s command, Ouchi’s artillery began launching thunder-crash bombs at the Shogunate gun positions.

BOOM! KABOOM!

Following the thunder-crash bomb explosions, secondary explosions occurred as the Shogunate artillery positions erupted in thunderous blasts. However, the Shogunate also conducted counter-battery fire against Ouchi’s artillery, beginning a fierce duel between both sides’ artillery.

Even as shells from both sides flew over their heads, Ouchi’s spearmen and musketeers steadily continued advancing.

Seeing this, the dispersed Shogunate musketeers and spearmen also reconcentrated and began marching.

The musketeers and spearmen of both camps approached head-on in tight formation.

Before long, musketeers took position at both sides’ vanguard.

“Halt!”

When the distance between both sides reached about 15 jang (about 45 meters), commanders on both sides halted their troops.

“First rank aim!”

“Fire!”

Ratattat!

“ARGH!”

With thunderous gunfire erupting simultaneously from both sides, the space between the formations became hazy with gunsmoke, and soldiers collapsed with screams.

“Second rank aim! Fire!”

Ratattat!

“Third rank aim! Fire!”

Ratattat!

Thus firing continued from first through third ranks, and soldiers who survived safely began busy reloading.

As this firefight entered its third round after completing two, the tide turned.

“Fire!”

Ratattat!

Ouchi’s musketeers began firing before the Shogunate musketeers finished reloading.

“Fire!”

Ratattat!

“Fire!”

Ratattat!

“ARGH!”

“Run away!”

Unable to withstand the gunfire pouring down before they could finish reloading, Shogunate musketeers began breaking from the battle line.

This too was a result of Joseon’s trick.

***

When supplying matchlock muskets, Joseon also supplied gunpowder and appropriately sized bullets.

In this process, Joseon didn’t supply the two separately but in paper cartridge form.

Packaging one shot’s worth of powder and bullet in a single paper bundle provided tremendous advantages in battle:

-Not using excess powder allowed safer firing.

-Oil-treated paper packaging was moisture resistant.

-During loading, the paper’s oil helped loading while cleaning powder residue from inside the barrel.

But the greatest advantage was increased firing speed. Not having to measure powder for each reload was an enormous benefit.

***

As the Shogunate musketeer formation collapsed in the musketeer battle, the Shogunate formation began breaking down.

Confirming the enemy formation’s collapse, Mochiyo immediately gave orders:

“Send out the cavalry!”

“Sir!”

Shortly after, Ouchi’s cavalry began charging toward the Shogunate formation. Though musketeers and artillery whose fighting spirit hadn’t broken resisted, they were swept away without inflicting proper damage.

Watching this, Mochiyo clenched his fist.

“Tell the lords! Advance immediately!”

“Sir!”

Gripping the command tower’s railing, Mochiyo shouted loudly to the soldiers below:

“The road to Kyoto is open!”

“WOOOOO!”