Fighting in the Korean War during the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty
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The war in Pyongyang was the 21st year of Wanli (1593) of the Ming Dynasty in KoreaPyongyangAn offensive to encircle and annihilate the Japanese army.Guan Bai, Minister of the Supreme Government of Japan in the 20th year of WanliFengchen XiujiAfter Daofaming was rejected, 150000 troops were sent to attack North Korea. In a short period of time, the Korean army was defeated and the Japanese army successfully occupied Pyongyang.The small westward leader led 30000 troops to defend Pyongyang City.Ming courtanswerKing of KoreaLi 昖RequestLi RusongFor the purpose of commander in chief, he led 3000 troops to help the DPRK but failed to do so at first, and then increased them to 35000 troops to help the DPRK and pacify Japan.On the sixth day of January of the next year, the Ming army led more than 35000 soldiers into Pyongyang.Day willKonishi Yukinaga He led more than 25000 soldiers to defend against the strong.Li Rusong used the strategy of besieging on three sides and ambushing the city in the east.At dawn on the eighth day of the lunar month, the deputy general disguised as a Korean army to help attack the south gate of the cityZu ChengxunThe Japanese troops were shocked when they unloaded the clothes of Luming's army.Deputy general of the west gateYang Yuan、Li RubaiTake the opportunity to attack the West Gate.At noon of the fierce battle, the city on three sides was broken. The small westward leader led the remnant to flee across the Datong River overnight. The Ming army ambushed and killed them along the way.More than ten thousand Japanese soldiers were killed in this battle, forcing the Japanese army to retreat to a corner of the southeast coast, thus reversing the Korean War.
Name
Battle of Pyongyang
Time of occurrence
Twenty first year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1593)
In 1592, the actual ruler of JapanFengchen XiujiLaunch 150000 troops to get throughKorean Strait, in Korea on April 13BusanLanding started the war of aggression against Korea.The Japanese army was invincible all the way, conquering SeoulKaicheng、Pyongyang。The Korean military and civilian watch winds are broken, the kingLi 昖He abandoned the capital and fled to Yizhou, sending envoys to the Ming Dynasty one after another for help.
As North KoreasuzerainThe Ming Dynasty, although it has gradually calmed down the Japanese pirates' intrusion in the coastal areas, is still wary of Japan, and will not ignore Japan's foreign expansion policy, so it decided to carry out the war of resistance against Japan and aid KoreaPyongyang。
The Japanese invading army attacked all the way forward, including the first corpsKonishi Yukinaga The Ministry defeated the main force of the Korean defense line near the Jinjiang River and occupied Pyongyang. After receiving the Korean emergency, Daming did not know the truth of the Japanese army, but sent Zu Chengxun, the deputy chief of Liaodong, with thousands of people and horses to join the army in the early stage. The Japanese army ended up withMusketDefeat, nowemperor wanli Fang woke up to the invasionVassal statesThe Japanese "really are powerful enemies", so they ordered the formation of the Korean East Expedition Army to fight in Korea.
President Xiaoxi, the chief general of the First Japanese Army Corps, has lost the momentum of continuous progress due to the lengthening of the logistics supply line and the continuous attacks of the Korean Rebels on Sao. When he heard that Daming was ready to send heavy troops to assist Korea, he had to pretend to seek peace in order to delay time.Governor of the Eastern Expedition Army of the Ming DynastyLi Rusong(A famous general in the Ming DynastyLi ChengliangHe pretended to agree to the peace talks and took advantage of the enemy's unprepared encirclement of Pyongyang. A war was imminent.
Military strength of both sides
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Total strength of the Eastern Expedition Army of the Ming Dynasty:
have otherGreat FriendshipHeadquarters in Fengshan: more than 6000 people
Total: more than 24000 people
Comparison of military strength between Ming army and Japanese army: 1.6:1
Array deployment of both sides
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Fire fighting chariot of Ming army
On January 5, the 21st year of Wanli (1593), the Ming army besiegedPyongyang。
Frang machine
DatongChangqingThere are two gates, the Lumen Gate and the Hanblanket Gate in the south, the ordinary gate and the seven star gate in the west, and the Mitai Gate in the north. The terrain is dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack.Outside the city, there is a towering Peony Peak, where 2000 Japanese troops are stationed, forming a mutual defense trend with the Japanese troops in Pyongyang.At that time, the Japanese garrison wasKonishi Yukinaga With more than 16000 peopleMusket。The light firearms of the Ming army were composed of rockets andFire gunLinealFirearmMainly (the Ming army generally changed its firearm to match the Japanese army during the Ding You War), but it hasGeneral artilleryAnd other heavy firearms, including 120 siege guns with a range of several milesFrang machine gunAnd other small guns.
President Xiao Xi, the chief general of the Japanese army, deployed as follows: more than ten thousand defenders were stationed in the city, and the city was guarded by muskets, bows and arrows, and boiling water, wood and stone;Outside the city, there are 2000 troops stationed at the Peony Peak, with green and white flags, and the horse trees are set up to repel the enemy, echoing the danger.
weaponry
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Ming army, artillery is the most powerful
Looking back on the history of the war between the Ming army and the Japanese army, we cannot but mention the famous generals from Jiajing to Wanli in the Ming DynastyMilitary leader famed for combat against Japanese pirate invaders。Qi Jiguang once trained a powerful brigade in Zhejiang, which was very important for the final suppression of Japanese pirates' invasion of coastal areas. Later, he was ordered to train troops in Jizhou, Changping, Liaodong and Baoding in the north, which greatly improved the combat effectiveness of these local armies. He also wrote《New book of discipline and efficiency》And《Practical discipline in military training》Such military books had a great influence on the later Ming army.The Ming army that went to Korea for war can be divided into the northern army and the southern army. The northern army includes officers and men from Ji, Liao and other towns, while the southern soldiers are mostly Zhejiang people. From this point of view, whether the northern army or the southern army, they have a deep relationship with Qi Jiguang.
At that time, the Ming Army was equipped with firearms and cold weapons. Specifically, the firearms wereGeneral artillery、Cannons、Tiger squatting gun、Extinguishing enemy cannons、Hundred son blunderbuss、Frang machine、Three eye gun、gun that can load more than one bullet, shotgun, rocket, etc;Cold weapons include sickles, hooks, knivesTang, bow and arrow, etc.Song Yingchang, who once served as a strategist, believed that "China's advanced skills in making Japanese depend on firearms." Among all kinds of firearms, the most powerful one isartillery, so the Ming army was equipped with a lot of equipmentartillery。For example, the tiger squatting gun with a body length of two feet and a weight of 36 kilograms can fire 100 lead bullets of five dollars each time, while the various types of franc machines belonging to heavy guns can assemble lead bullets ranging from twelve to one kilogram. These guns can only fire lead bullets of two dollars compared with those commonly used by the Japanese armya fowling piece, the firepower is much stronger.
Tiger Squat Gun:Military leader famed for combat against Japanese pirate invadersMost commonly used in the militaryfirearmThis light artillery has a thin barrel and a short range. It is suitable for mountain operations and is flexible. Because of its front loading, it can be launched at a large elevation and equipped with a large number of lower level troopsMortarIt is of the same use.
Large shotgun
Large shotgun: Ming Dynasty《Tiangong Kaiwu》It is the first to record its picture, with triangular support and rotating device, 3m long, 12kg, 200m effective range, nickname“Nine headed bird”, powerful, even the chariots at that time could not resist.
In the field battle of the Ming army, three to four rows of soldiers in front of the military array usually used guns, guns, rockets, artillery and other kinds of firearms to fire in turn, in an endless stream. After disrupting the enemy's military array, they fought closely with the enemy.The Ming army heldshieldThe soldiers in the front cover, followed by the soldiers in the hands of Tang Palladium, knives and sticks, forming one by one combat groups to work together.
Japanese blunderbuss
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The Japanese army in Pyongyang has various kinds of military equipmentCannon、short sword, bow and arrow, etc.amonga fowling pieceIt is indispensable for the Japanese army.When a soldier fires a shotgun, he first uses his eyes to trace the enemy through the sight on the barrel, and then uses his index finger to pull the trigger backward. At this time, the firerope burning on the launcher falls down immediately, lights the gunpowder in the barrel, pushes the lead bullet out of the barrel, and shoots at the enemy.
The Japanese army is equipped with a lot of equipmentartilleryThe Ming army is different from the Ming army. They are generally equipped with shotgun, which is in a weak position compared with the firepower of the Ming army.Therefore, the Japanese army tried to hide in the fortifications to avoid field battles with the Ming army.
The course of the campaign
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First of all, the two sides had three small-scale conflicts at the foot of Peony Peak and Pyongyang City.
On the morning of January 8,PyongyangThe battle to overcome the difficulties was officially launched.Li RusongThe troops were ordered to concentrate on fighting and not to take the enemy's head before the end of the campaign (in ancient times, it was regarded as meritorious service to obtain the head).
After the battle began, the Ming army fired guns to attack the city. "The sound shook the world, the mountains moved, the wild was dark, the smoke rose, and the rockets were spread in the air, the fire was fierce, and the trees were burned." The Japanese army set up red and white flags on the city as a contact signal, and fought hard to resist the battle relying on the city. "The bullets were like rain, the swords and spears were aligned outward, and the forest was as thick as a hedgehog's hair."
The attack of the Ming army was thwarted. Li Rusong led two hundred soldiers to the city, cut off a fleeing soldier, ordered him to march forward, and shouted: "The first boarder will be rewarded fifty taels of silver (say five thousand taels)!"
Under the encouragement of the commander in chief, the Ming army bravely attacked, or raised the gun, or climbed the ladder to hack at the Japanese troops defending the city. When the battle was fierce,Li RusongJump off the horse and "move forward to climb the city, and all the generals around will move forward together."
Shenji CampDeputy ChiefLuo ShangzhiNicknamed "Luo Qianjin", he is extremely brave. He holds a shield in one hand and a halberd in the other. He climbs up the ladder to attack the city tower with carpet gate. The Japanese throw down a huge stone and hit him in the stomach. Luo Shangzhi is still fighting hard. Behind him, several Zhejiang soldiers follow the city, pull off the Japanese flag, and put the flag of the Ming army on the city head.
The Japanese army despised the Korean army attacking the South Gate,Zu ChengxunFirst disguise as the Korean army to lead the battle, then lead the troops to unload and enter, revealing their armor.The Japanese army was shocked and hurriedly dispatched troops to reinforce the South Gate, but the Ming army had already attacked the tower.
At the same time, Ming general Zhang Shijue smashed the west of the city with cannonSeven Star Gate, Li Rubei breaks through the carpet gate, Yang Yuan breaks throughOrdinary doorAll armies fought against the Japanese in the street.
Guerrilla generalWu WeizhongWhen attacking the Peony Peak, he was shot in the chest and still shouted for supervision, leading his troops to conquer the peak.
In battleLi RusongThe mount was hit by Japanese bullets, and the horse changed and fought again. The horse fell into the ditch, jumped out with the reins, and continued to move forward. The Japanese army could not resist the fierce attack of the allied forces, and the remnant retreated into various fortresses in the city to defend. The Ming army burned its secret kiln earth fortress with fire, and surrounded the small west to grow in the Fengyue Pavilion earth cave.
At that time, the battlefield situation was extremely complicated. Behind the Ming army, there were Japanese troopsGreat FriendshipMore than 6000 people from the Ministry may come from Fengshan at any time, andPyongyangThe Japanese army desperately refused to fight again, and it was hard to get down.Under such circumstances, Li Rusong ordered the captured Japanese interpreter Zhang Dashan to send a letter toKonishi Yukinaga To abandon the city and surrender.
President Xiaoxi asked the Ming army to withdraw from the encirclement in order to abandon the city, and Li Rusong ordered to withdraw all the troops.And the secret orderLi Ning、Zu Chengxun, Ge Fengxia and other Ming generals led the army to ambush on the main road.
In the middle of the night, Xiao Xixing led the remnant soldiers to escape from the city, and the Ming army intercepted them halfway and captured 359 levels of the first level.Capture 2 people alive.
Campaign outcome
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After a day of fierce fighting, the Japanese army suffered heavy losses. Seeing that reinforcements were not coming, the little westward leader intended to break through, ordered a brave man named Dashihuang Heshu to take off his armor, climb up the tall building in a suit of clothes, and scout out a specific breakthrough route with the bow and arrow shells fired by the Ming army.And this timeLi RusongIn order to avoid further siege and increase casualties, envoys were sent to ask the Japanese commanderKonishi Yukinaga To withdraw from Pyongyang, the little westward leader agreed immediately and led the remnants of "less than 5000" to withdrawPyongyang(Chuankou Changru《Conscript Han Weilue》Volume II), fleeing south in confusion.The Ming army intercepted and ambushed some Japanese troops who fled south, and then recovered the Yellow Sea, Ping'an, Gyeonggi and Jiangyuan.
According to statistics, the Ming army's capture of the head of the Japanese army alone reached 1647.However, the total number of casualties of the Japanese army was more than that. The total loss of those killed by shelling, smoke and other reasons exceeded 10000.However, 796 people were killed and 1492 wounded in the Ming army (Song Yingchang's "Outline of the Restoration of the State" and "Narration of the Restoration of Pyongyang's Kaicheng War").
Pyongyang Campaign, totally 1250 Japanese heads were captured, including 25 Japanese generals, 2 captured alive, and 2985 war horses.Countless Japanese troops were burned to death.The stink smells ten miles away.The rest are drowned by jumping into the city.
In his book "Learning from the Past", the Korean Minister Liu Chenglong praised the Ming Army for its "unprecedented military power and speed of victory".
recoverPyongyangWith considerable strategic significance, the war situation on the entire Korean Peninsula has been reversed.
Campaign significance
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The war in Pyongyang was won by the Ming army, and one of the three capitals was recovered.When the Japanese army has another chance to enterPyongyangIt is exactly 300 years later.
The First Japanese Army Corps was severely damaged in this battle,hwanghae 、Kaicheng、Hamgyong The Japanese troops in other places withdrew to Seoul one after another, and half of the mountains and rivers in Korea recovered quickly because of the victory of this battle. The strategic idea of the Japanese army trying to attack the Ming Empire with Korea as a springboard was completely defeated.
Campaign analysis
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PyongyangThe battle is a famous coordinated battle of foot, gun and horse in the history of Asian campaigns.In this battle, the Ming army showed strong combat effectiveness.
To be fair, by the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the military system and training methods were very backward, but the scale was too large, which inevitably led to the overall low quality of soldiers. Unlike the Japanese army, which had fought for many years in the civil war, the soldiers were excellent and strong.But on the other hand, famous Chinese politicians and economists at that timeZhang JuzhengOnly a few years after his death, some of his reform achievements still remained, which enabled the Ming Dynasty to have sufficient human and material resources to select a group of border guards and senior generals who could fight well across the country to form the Eastern Expedition Army.Therefore, on the Korean battlefield alone, the combat effectiveness of the Ming army was not low during the Renchen Battle.
First, the commander in chief dared to fight and was good at fighting, and mobilized the troops to attack the solid city in a way of combining positive and negative forces.When the Japanese army tried its best to resist the main force of the Ming army attacking the city, another Ming army disguised as the Korean army suddenly launched a surprise attack from other directions, completely disrupting the Japanese city defense.
When the Ming army attacked the city, it did not fight against the Japanese strong fortress, but used a trick to lure the enemy to break through, and then set an ambush on the way of the Japanese retreat to invite them to attack again, so that they would be severely injured again.This avoids the possibility of protracted warWar of attrition。
Why?Li RusongReluctant to fight a protracted war with superior forces, what about war of attrition?
Because at that time, the Ming army seemed to dominate, but in fact, the situation was dangerousGreat FriendshipThe Ministry could attack the Ming army from behind at any time, making the Ming army suffer from both sides.Japanese troopsKuroda Nagamasa More than 10000 people from the Ministry of Finance stationed in KaichengPyongyangIt is also very likely (Fengshan and Kaicheng are about 300 li away from Pyongyang, and can be reached within two days at the latest).
The fact is that when the Ming army attacked Pyongyang, Yoshito wanted to lead the army to reinforceKonishi Yukinaga However, we were shocked by the ground shaking artillery of the Ming army and retreated without fighting, but everyone would do it later. In that era when the reconnaissance methods were backward, we could not force the Ming army generals at that time to expect this.
In this battle, Ming history records that a total of 1646 Japanese heads were captured. Does that mean that the war in Pyongyang only killed more than 1000 Japanese soldiers?Of course not. As the Ming history also said, this is a statistic in addition to burning, killing and drowning.
According to anotherMoneyEditorial《Wanli Di banknote》According to the records in the Twenty first Year of Wanli,PyongyangIn the First World War, the Ming army killed more than 1500 Japanese, burned more than 6000, drowned more than 5000.
Wanli Mansion NotesIt is a news bulletin passed between the Ming Dynasty officials, which belongs to the scope of official history materials, and has a very high credibility.
The war in Pyongyang lasted one day and one night. More than 50000 people from both sides participated in the war. In the battle of Mudanfeng alone, 2000 Japanese troops were totally wiped out. When the city was attacked, six city gates were fought down through fierce battles, and street battles in the city followedDatong RiverSniper war, Jiangnan pursuit war, can be said to fight countless.
With the personality of the Japanese army, it is impossible to abandon an important city with only 1000 casualties.As for those who were shot, burned in earthen castles, drowned in the river, and killed in the battle on the south bank, most of them could not find their heads.
According to Korean history, more than 10000 Japanese troops were killed in this war, and countless prisoners were captured. The number of fugitives was less than one tenth of the total.Let's take a look at the relevant records of Japan: in Chapter 4 of Japanese War History, Korean War, page 97~98;It is pointed out in Page 251~252 of Chapter 7 that,Pyongyang CampaignAfter,Konishi Yukinaga More than 11300 employees were reduced, and transferred toWang JingOnly 6600 people were left at that time, nearly two-thirds of them were reduced.
The comparative analysis of the three parties' data strongly shows that the Japanese army suffered heavy losses in the war in Pyongyang.
