The Imjin War and Turtle Boats
In 1592, the great Japanese general Toyotomi Hideyoshi decided to invade China by going through Korea. Although he asked permission to pass through Korea, Koreans had been allied with China for over a millennium and refused. The Japanese then invaded Korea, which had a minimal army. The Japanese took the capitol in less than two weeks. When China sent assistance, the battles raged across Korea for six years. The Japanese were finally expelled in 1598 when their general died.
While they had few if any land victories, the Koreans were quite successful on the sea. Admiral Yi Sun-shin is celebrated in both North and South Korea as a national hero. His major contribution, in addition to brilliant command, was the invention of geobukseon or turtle boats.
Turtle boats were wooden ships plated with spiked iron armor on top so that they could not be boarded. Windows could be opened on the sides to permit archers to shoot out, but the windows were angled so that arrows could not come in. To prevent the oars from breaking every time the ship came near another ship, the Admiral had them re-engineered so they pointed down instead of out, making the ship quick and maneuverable in close quarters. Directional changes were signaled by flags, speed changes by drum; that way no one needed to hear words over the roar of the cannon.
Each turtle boat had a four foot dragon head on the front and often the back as well. Inside the front of the ship, an incense burner was filled with sulphur and saltpeter to create a white (and likely foul-smelling) smoky mist. This was supposed to cloak the boat’s approach in stormy weather, though it also likely sparked fear in the enemy in clear weather!
The Imjin war still resonates in Korea, in part due to the later takeover by Japan in the early 20th century. Koreans like to emphasize how much of Japan’s cultural renaissance after this war was due to the kidnapped potters, calligraphers, scholars and cultural treasures the Japanese took with them back to Japan. But the most famous part of the war is definitely the turtle boats. For more pictures, click on any of the images in this blog, and click on the little word saying “Turtle Boat set”.
2 comments February 22, 2008
