Late April, 30th year of King Sejong’s reign (1448, Year of the Yang Earth Dragon).
The fleets of Joseon and Ming clashed near Socheongdo.
“It’s the Joseon fleet, Vice Commander (도독동지(都督同知, dūdū tóngzhī))!”
Wu Qiming, the Ming fleet’s Vice Commander, raised his telescope at the captain’s words.
Watching the Joseon fleet emerge from the shadow of Socheongdo, Wu Qiming turned to his chief staff officer.
“Their scale matches what our scout ships have discovered.”
“That’s true, but…”
The chief staff officer paused briefly before continuing with a slightly worried expression.
“I’m somewhat concerned that the scout ships sent to the Daecheongdo area haven’t returned.”
***
Even before this battle, Ming and Joseon had been engaged in fierce combat in the West Sea.
Both sides attempted to discover the other’s scale and movement direction in advance, and their scout ships fought bloody battles, pursuing and being pursued in attempts to prevent such reconnaissance.
Most of these encounters ended in Joseon naval victories. Ming’s scout ships, with their weak armament and defenses, were no match for Joseon’s Haeung-class vessels.
However, as Ming’s fleets properly united and increased their number of scout ships, they began gathering more information about the Joseon joint fleet.
Yet the chief staff officer couldn’t hide his uneasiness because not a single scout ship that had ventured near Daecheongdo had returned.
***
Wu Qiming smiled slightly at his chief staff officer’s anxious comment.
“Your overcautiousness is the problem. Look at where the battle will take place. It’s sea in all directions. Even if they wanted to ambush us, there are no islands for hiding. Of course, there might be a Joseon mobile fleet hidden at Daecheongdo you’re worried about. But unless we go there, we can’t fall into their ambush. Rather, they’re the ones who would have to come out. And even if their numbers increase that way, don’t we have countermeasures prepared?”
Wu Qiming had good reason for his confidence.
***
On the way here, Ming’s fleet had grown even larger.
The last intelligence Joseon’s navy had obtained showed 40 large Daebok ships and 80 medium ships. However, during the previous night, an additional 10 large Daebok ships and 20 medium ships had joined under cover of darkness.
Fifty large Daebok ships with 80 cannons each was an enormous force.
Add to that 100 medium ships carrying 20 cannons each. Even just combining the large and medium ships, they had twice the number of the current Joseon fleet.
***
“That’s true. I also believe victory is certain. However… I’m still slightly worried. I fear we might suffer greater losses than expected.”
This was the chief staff officer’s concern.
The Joseon people were artillery-obsessed maniacs whether on land or sea.
These madmen mounted 20 cannons even on their panokseon ships, which were smaller than Ming’s medium vessels. And being artillery-obsessed, the power of their cannons was superior.
According to known information, their Haeung-class swift warships carried about 30 cannons, and their Challenger-class vessels carried about 50 cannons.
Therefore, even the slightest carelessness would surely result in severe losses even in victory.
Almost all the large and medium ships now filling the surrounding waters were vessels born from the naval arms race between Ming and Joseon.
If these ships suffered heavy losses, it would take considerable time and funding to recover them.
Understanding his chief staff officer’s concerns, Wu Qiming nodded.
“Yes. I understand what you’re worried about. That’s why you command the staff officers, and why I keep you by my side. Do your best.”
At Wu Qiming’s response, the chief staff officer clasped his hands and bowed.
“I shall do my utmost to assist you, sir!”
***
As Wu Qiming and his chief staff officer were regaining their fighting spirit, a soldier in the crow’s nest shouted.
“The Joseon vessels are moving!”
At the soldier’s cry, Wu Qiming, the chief staff officer, staff officers, and captain all raised their telescopes.
Through their telescopes, they could see the Joseon vessels spreading out sideways in a long formation. Then, from what appeared to be the flagship Challenger-class vessel, signal flares were fired into the sky.
Bang! Pop-bang!
The fired flares soon created clouds of colorful smoke in the sky, and shortly after, similar flares were launched from Socheongdo and Daecheongdo.
“You were right about hidden numbers. But seeing them reveal themselves so early suggests they’re quite startled.”
“Indeed, sir.”
The chief staff officer nodded with a brightened expression at Wu Qiming’s words. Hidden forces were most painful when encountered unaware. But now that they knew, proper preparation could minimize losses.
With a brightened expression while observing the Joseon formation, the chief staff officer reported to Wu Qiming.
“Judging by their movements, they appear to be forming an oblique formation. More precisely, a double-wing formation.”
“Indeed.”
Nodding slightly at his chief staff officer’s words, Wu Qiming asked:
“I’m thinking of moving with a Fish Scale Formation, placing the large ships in a diamond shape in the center with medium ships around the perimeter – what do you think?”
After examining the formation created by moving wooden pieces on the naval chart, the chief staff officer nodded.
“I believe that would be most appropriate.”
“Then proceed as planned.”
“Yes, sir!”
Shortly after, signal flags began moving on Ming’s flagship. Confirming the signals, the Ming vessels began forming the Fish Scale Formation.
***
Thus both sides began arranging their formations with complex fleet maneuvers.
Joseon formed a Crane Wing Formation with their Challenger-class vessels, superior in firepower and defense, in the center and the more maneuverable Haeung-class vessels on both wings. Ming responded with a Fish Scale Formation, concentrating their large ships in the center surrounded by a wall of medium vessels.
The Joseon navy, having completed their formation, approached rapidly.
As soon as they entered cannon range, they began firing, starting with the Haeung-class vessels.
Boom! Bang!
As the deep cannon fire thundered and gunsmoke rose, pillars of fire began erupting from the Ming medium ships defending the perimeter.
Kwaboom! Kaboom!
“What’s this! Why are the ships exploding…”
The Ming command was shocked to see the outermost medium ships exploding.
“Is it the cannons?”
“The power is too great for cannons!”
“Then what are these explosions!”
As opinions varied among the staff officers watching their ships suddenly exploding, reports came in from all directions.
“Report! Ships hit by Joseon navy’s attack severely damaged!”
“Some ships are already starting to sink!”
The staff officers receiving these reports fell into panic.
“Impossible! Even with cannons, one or two hits can’t sink a medium ship!”
“That’s right!”
Already knowing that the Joseon navy favored using cannons, the Ming navy had considered this during the design of their medium ships. They had made the first deck thick and placed cannons on the second deck. The most fearsome aspects of the cannons were its explosive power and shrapnel. The cannon was surprisingly weak in penetration power.
Common knowledge held that only solid iron balls or stone balls could pierce a ship’s hull.
The medium and large ships were built with closely spaced watertight bulkheads and storage rooms for repair timber to withstand such projectile attacks as much as possible.
Therefore, they believed one or two cannon hits couldn’t sink a medium ship.
And they were correct.
What the Joseon navy was using wasn’t cannons.
They were high-explosive shells with contact fuses embedded in their warheads, filled with gunpowder in conical bodies.
***
Interestingly, it wasn’t Hyang but the navy that first proposed the concept of high-explosive shells using contact fuses.
“The cannon is quite useful, but its penetration power is weaker than expected.”
“While one cannon is enough for Japanese ships, it’s different for Ming and other nations’ ships…”
“But it’s inconvenient to carry both cannons launchers and regular cannons… above all, it reduces our firepower!”
The naval command, struggling with the problems of mounting multiple types of artillery on space-limited warships, soon came up with an idea.
“We should make cannons with sufficient penetration power!”
“Is that possible?”
“We have someone who can make it possible!”
The naval command immediately sought out Hyang to request a solution.
Receiving the proposal, Hyang answered with a broad smile.
“I’ll create the best solution for you!”
Though the answer came readily, the result didn’t appear immediately.
At the time of the proposal, Joseon’s steel-making technology had just begun to develop.
Only after the steam engine was born and steel-making technology had advanced enough to produce iron horses, railways, and iron bridges could contact fuses and shells with satisfactory performance be created.
As a bonus, though primitive, breech-loading naval guns were also developed.
These naval guns were then installed extensively on Haeung-class and Challenger-class vessels, and now in this battle, they were formally demonstrating their capabilities.
***
Among the panicking command personnel, Wu Qiming and his chief staff officer were the first to regain their composure.
“What unseemly behavior is this! The battle has only just begun!”
At Wu Qiming’s rebuke, the staff officers regained their senses, and the chief staff officer offered advice.
“Joseon’s artillery is stronger than expected! In the current situation, the best answer is to close in as quickly as possible! If we can get within our artillery range and engage in a gun battle, we can properly utilize our numerical advantage!”
“Let’s do that! Order the fleet to advance at full speed!”
“Yes, sir!”
Soon signal flags rose from the flagship, and the Ming fleet began advancing at full speed.
“Row! Row!”
The rowers on Ming’s ships gritted their teeth as they pulled their oars. The officers standing before them shouted with veins bulging in their necks.
“Row until your arms fall off! If you delay even slightly, you’ll die!”
The Ming fleet approached the Joseon fleet with all their might. To survive and to win, they rowed with all their strength and adjusted their sails.
“Faster, faster! Just a bit more speed! Just a little more! Just a bit further to cannon range!”
As they drew closer to the Joseon fleet, Ming’s vessels began preparing for artillery combat.
“Though we’re still taking losses, this is manageable! Soon we’ll be in artillery range. Then we can pay them back sufficiently!”
“We absolutely must pay them back!”
As Wu Qiming and his chief staff officer were burning with fighting spirit, a soldier in the crow’s nest shouted.
“Strange vessel appearing on the left flank! Approaching at high speed!”
At the soldier’s cry, Wu Qiming turned to his chief staff officer.
“Finally, the hidden force appears!”
“Indeed, sir!”
They and the staff officers raised their telescopes to look in the direction the sailor indicated.
“A dragon?”
From that direction, a massive black ship with an enormous dragon head on its bow was approaching at high speed.
“How without sails?”
“What’s that black smoke?”
The chief staff officer, watching the ship approach at high speed without sails, suddenly exclaimed in shock.
“Are you saying Joseon has already mounted steam engines on ships!”