Upon receiving the orders, all warships participating in the operation poured out to sea from their naval stations.
The first to join were the Gyeonggi and Chungcheong naval stations.
The two fleets that merged near Socheongdo soon began forming their battle formations according to the previously received plans.
The faster Haeung-class warships formed the outer perimeter while the Challenger-class vessels arranged themselves in the inner formation.
***
While the ships were busy forming their formations, the Chungcheong Naval Commander – more precisely, the Naval Defense Commissioner – boarded the Gyeonggi Naval Commander’s ship.
“Welcome aboard.”
“It’s been a while.”
After exchanging brief greetings, the two commanders sat down facing each other and began their discussion.
“Has the enemy’s scale been determined?”
“According to Haeung-22’s report, approximately 20 large ships and about 30 medium and small ships combined.”
At the Gyeonggi commander’s answer, the Chungcheong commander stroked his beard and asked again.
“Do you think that’s their entire force?”
“Not at all. How many years have they been coming and going to our Jemulpo? And we’ve encountered each other far out at sea more than once or twice. They’ll be familiar with our situation, so we should at least double that number.”
Nodding at the Gyeonggi commander’s response, the Chungcheong commander smiled slightly.
“That familiarity is exactly why they’re going to get hit hard. They’ll think we only have Haeung-class ships.”
At the Chungcheong commander’s words, the Gyeonggi commander nodded with a slight smile.
***
As the Ming forces already knew, the Hamgyeong, Gyeonggi, and Chungcheong naval stations had no Challenger-class vessels.
-The Challenger-class was too large for use in inland seas.
This was the reason for not deploying Challenger-class vessels.
After Joseon gained control of the surrounding waters, the Joseon navy referred to the West Sea as either inland sea or salt lake. Because it was such a narrow body of water, they judged that Haeung-class ships alone were sufficient to maintain control.
However, as conflict with Ming became certain, three Challenger-class vessels were secretly deployed to the Hamgyeong, Gyeonggi, and Chungcheong naval stations.
This reinforcement had happened so recently that Ming was still unaware of it.
***
The Gyeonggi and Chungcheong commanders continued assessing the situation while looking at the naval charts.
“It will take the enemy at least a few days to assemble their fleet and come. Isn’t that good for us as well?”
“Indeed. It will take at least three days for the ships from Jeolla Left and Right Naval Stations to arrive.”
“Even if other ships are delayed, as long as those ‘temple monks’ arrive properly, we shouldn’t have much to worry about, right?”
“Temple monks…? Ah! Hahaha!”
Momentarily confused by the Gyeonggi commander’s sudden mention of ‘temple monks’, the Chungcheong commander soon understood and burst out laughing.
The ‘temple monks’ the Gyeonggi commander referred to were the crew of the Assault Turtle Ship Maengjin.
***
When the Assault Turtle Ship was completed, the navy began looking for suitable candidates to command it. At this time, an unexpected person visited headquarters.
“How could you forget about me for such an important matter! Aren’t I the most qualified for this kind of thing! Please give me command of the ship!”
The one who volunteered to be the captain was Kang Nam-gil, the captain of the Maengjin.
When the Challenger-class vessels were first built, finding captains had been an issue.
“Since these are unprecedented ships, we need to find suitable people…”
After deliberation, the higher-ups selected the first generation of captains from those evaluated as bold and progressive.
While “bold and progressive” sounded nice, according to Hyang’s assessment, they were “intelligent lunatics.”
And among them, Captain Kang Nam-gil of the Maengjin was an exceptional figure. Again, according to Hyang’s assessment, he was “someone overflowing with eccentricity to the point of excess, and even more troublesome because he was highly capable.”
Thanks to being such a capable eccentric, Kang Nam-gil was not only successful in destroying pirates but also discovered New Frontier.
“With his accumulated achievements alone, he could become the youngest naval commander, so why seek out more hardship?”
When the higher-ups heard of Kang Nam-gil’s volunteering, they tried to dissuade him, but he immediately answered with a grin.
“We only live once! If one decides to command a warship, shouldn’t it be done properly? The Assault Turtle Ship is the vessel that suits me best!”
Given the individual’s strong determination and more than sufficient past achievements, Kang Nam-gil was able to become the captain of Assault Turtle Ship No. 1.
“Very well. Since you’ve volunteered, is there anything you need?”
As soon as the higher-ups finished speaking, Kang Nam-gil stated his requests.
“First, I would like to use the name Maengjin[1]. What name could be more suitable for an Assault Turtle Ship?”
The higher-ups nodded as Kang Nam-gil’s suggestion was reasonable.
“Indeed. That’s fine. Anything else?”
“Yes, I would like to bring all the soldiers and crew from the Maengjin. While we can’t help the steam engine operators, wouldn’t it be better to fill other positions with people who already work well together?”
“Hmm…”
The higher-ups couldn’t immediately answer Kang Nam-gil’s explanation.
“We’ll think about that part and give you an answer. However, your opinion has merit, so we’ll consider it as much as possible.”
“Please, I beseech you!”
Finally, after a meeting that even Hyang attended, it was decided that all crew members of the Maengjin would transfer to the new Maengjin.
While Kang Nam-gil’s argument played a significant role in this decision, an even bigger factor was the crew’s famous eccentricities.
From the crow’s nest on the mast to the hold at the bottom, they’re all unified in their craziness – it’s easier to keep them all in one place!
With this thought, Hyang approved it without further discussion.
***
‘The Monks of Maengjin Temple’
This was the nickname used within the Joseon navy for the Maengjin and its crew.
From Captain Kang Nam-gil down to the lowest-ranking sailor, they all kept their heads completely shaved. No, they went beyond just cutting it short – they kept their heads gleaming bald.
“I said to keep your hair neat, but who told you to shave it completely bare? Do you have some complaint?”
“Rather than suffer from fleas and lice during ocean voyages, it’s better to shave it all off!”
“…”
But it wasn’t just their shaved heads that earned them the nickname ‘monks.’ They were also famous for their worst military dress code.
However, they showed their true worth when battle broke out. Though relaxed at other times, as soon as combat began, they would prepare for battle faster than anyone else at their positions. Moreover, they would do so while perfectly equipped with all necessary safety gear.
Because of this, there was a common assessment among the navy:
“Only the monks of Maengjin Temple could have discovered New Frontier.”
The day they first encountered the Assault Turtle Ship, all crew members of the Maengjin, regardless of rank, uttered the same words:
“At last, we’ve found a ship that suits us!”
***
Two days later, the waters off Socheongdo were teeming with Joseon warships.
The vessels from Hwanghae Naval Station and Jeolla Left and Right Naval Stations had completed their assembly.
On the flagship of the Gyeonggi Naval Station, Kang Nam-gil joined the commanders from each naval station to begin their meeting.
The Gyeonggi commander, who had taken on the role of Supreme Commander according to the established operational plan, opened with a slight bow to the other commanders gathered.
“I have been placed in the heavy position of Supreme Commander because of my familiarity with this region. I humbly request your support.”
“No need for such modesty – isn’t this inland sea like the palm of your hand? We are the ones who should be asking for your guidance.”
“We look forward to working with you.”
“We place our trust in the Gyeonggi commander.”
The other commanders responded with smiles to the Gyeonggi commander’s modest statement. The Gyeonggi commander now sitting in the place of honor had spent many years at the Gyeonggi Naval Station. As a result, he knew these inland waters better than anyone.
The meeting continued in this harmonious atmosphere.
“Through continuous reconnaissance, we’ve come to roughly understand the enemy’s forces. They consist of 40 large ships called Daebok ships, about 80 medium ships, and small vessels estimated at around a hundred.”
“Huh…”
“That’s quite a number…”
The other commanders’ faces grew serious at the Gyeonggi commander’s words.
The current size of the Joseon naval joint fleet was 76 ships total: 60 Haeung-class, 15 Challenger-class, and 1 Assault Turtle Ship. While they could mobilize over 100 ships if they deployed all vessels, most would be small ships that wouldn’t contribute much to combat power.
The Gyeonggi commander continued:
“Seeing them bring so many small vessels, it seems certain that their artillery is inferior in capability.”
“Hmm…”
At the Gyeonggi commander’s words, the other commanders stroked their beards in thought.
After the Battle of Insanjin, the military department had carefully examined the captured Liaodong army’s artillery.
-The Ming army’s artillery is inferior to our Joseon military’s in both power and range.
-Excluding the problematic Fire Dragon Cannon, the range of Liaodong army’s artillery doesn’t exceed 1,300 bo (about 1.56km) at most. This falls far short of our Joseon military’s artillery range of 2,000 bo (about 2.4km).
-The weight of their shells is also lighter compared to the shells used by our Joseon military.
Recalling the report sent from Hanseong, the Jeolla Left Naval Commander shared his thoughts:
“Are they aiming for chaotic battle?”
“Yes. They must be well aware that their artillery is inferior to ours, so they’ll try to engage our ships with full force. Then they’ll likely attempt fire attacks using small ships in the ensuing chaos.”
The commanders nodded at the Gyeonggi commander’s explanation.
The Gyeonggi commander continued:
“So here’s the operation I’ve devised. First, the vessels from Jeolla Left and Right Naval Stations will form the left wing, while ships from Gyeonggi, Hwanghae, and Chungcheong stations will form the right wing. Then we’ll form a single-line formation in two rows, approach the enemy, and spread out to both sides to form an oblique formation.”
The Gyeonggi commander explained while drawing imaginary lines on the naval chart with his command baton.
The Chungcheong commander, who had been listening to the explanation, posed a question:
“You mean to deploy the Crane Wing Formation?”
“Indeed. Since our artillery’s power is superior, I plan to maximize that advantage.”
“Hmm…”
At the Gyeonggi commander’s answer, the commanders fell silent again, calculating. The Jeolla Left commander, who had been thinking of ways to break through this formation if he were the enemy, asked the Gyeonggi commander:
“While the Crane Wing Formation is best for properly utilizing our artillery, the enemy’s numbers are the problem. Since they outnumber us, they’ll likely try to break through the Crane Wing Formation using the Fish Scale Formation.”
As the Jeolla Left commander pointed this out while drawing an imaginary Fish Scale Formation with his command baton, the Gyeonggi commander looked at Kang Nam-gil and spoke:
“That’s why we have the Assault Turtle Ship, isn’t it? Captain, where do you think your vessel should be positioned?”
Deep in thought at the Gyeonggi commander’s question, Kang Nam-gil answered:
“There are two positions. One is to charge from the center of the Crane Wing Formation, splitting and cutting through the enemy lines lengthwise. The other is to launch from one of the flanks and cut across the enemy formation widthwise.”