Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 565

Episode 565: Disconnection. (4)

The Panok ships of the Joseon Navy sailing up the Yalu River were ships that were scheduled to be retired due to the deployment of a large number of marine rescue units while carrying out the mission of patrolling the archipelago area of the West and South Seas.

However, as Yodong’s movements became suspicious, he returned to the front line.

“Although the Yalu River is a natural defense line, it is something that hinders us even when we attack.”

“We need a way to solve this.”

In the process of searching for a suitable means, Panokseon came into view.

“Is this okay?”

– The biggest advantage of the Panokseon is that it is a flat bottom ship. Flat bottom ships have a flat bottom and low draft.

-The relatively low draft makes some movement possible even in rivers. In the case of the Panokseon, if the ballast load is reduced, it can at least go back to where Insanjin is located without difficulty.

-A flat floor keeps you level even if you inevitably or intentionally run aground. If you take advantage of this advantage, it can be used as an excellent fixed position and can also serve as a pontoon bridge for wading.

-The number of guns loaded on one Panokseon is 26, including the Eulsik Wagon. If at least 10 ships enter, it can become a powerful enough force.

According to this decision, the retirement of Panokseon was temporarily suspended and they were gathered at Gyeonggi Suyeong and Hwanghae Suyeong.

The Joseon navy, which had assembled the Panokseon, carried out extensive repairs and various modifications at the same time.

And as soon as the battle broke out in Insanjin, the Panok ships so prepared were dispatched.

The Panokseon fleet that first gathered at the mouth of the Yalu River began preparing to go up the Yalu River.

“Throw away the floor luggage!”

“yes!”

Following the captain’s orders, the soldiers began to take out the concrete blocks from the ship’s berth one by one and throw them into the sea.

After confirming that the weight of the Panokseon had become reasonably light, the captains gave the following orders.

“Turn the engine back!”

“ancient!”

Following the commands of the captains, the stokers aboard began to operate the steam engine.

* * *

Among the improvements made for this battle, the highlight was the installation of a steam engine.

It was not as large as the engines mounted on sailing ships traveling on the Northern Sea Route or the engines on iron horses, but rather was equipped with a small steam engine for a gun towing vehicle.

The steam engine located at the rear of the first deck of the Panokseon was equipped with a power distribution device containing a dozen gear wheels. There were two long iron bars attached to the output distribution device, and the bars inclined toward the water. At the end of the iron bar that entered the water at an angle like that was a pinwheel-type propeller.

It was a makeshift device because there was not enough time to modify it like the model ships operated in the north.

However, the results of making and testing a prototype were evaluated as usable. According to the experiment in Hansu, it was slow but steady, moving back against Hansu.

“It’s enough to mobilize the troops there!”

* * *

When the steam pressure of the steam engine rose sufficiently, the stokers moved the lever to activate the power distribution device.

The panok ships began to move as the screw turned and soon began to move up the Yalu River.

The target was Insanjin, 80 ri (about 32 km) away.

* * *

If the left wing of the Joseon army was the Panokseon fleet, the right wing was the cavalry of the Joseon army.

The size of the cavalry mobilized in this battle was about 35,000 men in two divisions. Looking at the numbers alone, it was weak enough to be called a large army, but if you look at its power alone, it was a size that could be called the strongest.

The reason for this evaluation was that they were cavalry and operated a large amount of artillery.

* * *

According to the reform of the Joseon army planned and seasoned by King Sejong, the core of the Joseon army’s power was artillery, and musketry and cavalry supported it.

-Considering the state of Joseon, we cannot just increase the number of soldiers.

-When a war involving the survival of the nation occurs, strength is increased through the conscription of reserve forces, but in normal times, maximum strength must be extracted from an appropriate number of troops.

-Considering the above conditions and the increasingly expanding power of Joseon, a unit with strong mobility and firepower should be the core of the military.

According to this decision, the Joseon Land Guard was divided into two.

One was those stationed in a solid fortress like the Insan camp, and the other was the cavalry.

And what these two groups had in common was that they operated large quantities of artillery.

Whether it was a fortress garrison or cavalry, the core of the force was artillery.

* * *

As soon as the movement of the Liaodong army was detected, the Joseon army’s cavalry moved quickly. One unit continued its journey north. Their mission was to begin the invasion from the northeastern region of Liaodong and strike Liaodong’s rear.

The two units moving to attack the flanks of the Liaodong Army fighting at Insanjin galloped along the military road built on the Gaema Plateau, then went around the south of Baekdu Mountain and crossed the Yalu River.

The Joseon Army cavalry that crossed the Yalu River galloped toward Insanjin along the northern bank of the Yalu River.

* * *

The Panokseon fleet and Joseon army cavalry that arrived began attacking the left and right flanks of the Liaodong army.

The number of Panok ships that sailed up the Yalu River was about 30. Among them, 10 ships formed a military camp in the middle of the Yalu River.

Their target was the Liaodong Army crossing the Yalu River. Therefore, the Panokseon in charge of the mission was loaded with 60 fire trucks instead of naval guns.

A total of 600 guns were set to target the Liaodong Army gathered on both sides of the Yalu River and the river.

Of the remaining 20 ships, 5 went up on the southern bank of the Yalu River, and the other 15 went up on the northern bank and crashed.

The 400 artillery pieces and 80 Eulsik wagons loaded on the 20 panokseons that sat down on the riverside targeted the Liaodong troops gathered on the riverside and nearby.

“Let go!”

At the command of the captains standing tall in the pavilion of the Panokseon, the artillery guns and fire wagons opened fire all at once.

Ku-kwa-kwang!

Ta-ta-ta-tang!

The bigyeokjincheonroe for naval forces fired by the Panokseon’s artillery and the rain of bullets from the Eulsik wagons instantly began to crush the Liaodong army.

“Wow!”

“Ahh!”

The Liaodong soldiers screamed and fell as the Joseon army attacked.

Those who suffered the most serious damage from the Joseon Dynasty’s attack were the Liaodong Army crossing the Yalu River. The soldiers of the Liaodong Army, who were stumbling over the natural obstacle called water, fell under the fire of food trucks, and the water of the Yalu River began to turn red in an instant.

A similar situation occurred on the left flank of the Liaodong Army.

Kwakwakwak!

Bigyeokjincheonroe fired by the Joseon Army cavalry began to completely destroy the left flank of the Liaodong Army.

Ta-ta-tang!

As soon as the bigyeokjincheonroe salvo ended, the Joseon cavalry’s salvo continued.

“Aaaah!”

“Counterattack! “Fire back!”

The left wing of the Liaodong Army suffered a severe blow from the Joseon Army cavalry, but the Liaodong Army commanders soon came to their senses and ordered a counterattack.

At the command of their commanders, the Liaodong Army soldiers raised iron guns and bows and targeted the Joseon Army cavalry.

But it was a futile effort.

The range of their iron guns and bows was abysmally short compared to the Japanese cavalry’s long guns.

The Insan camp and the surrounding trench area were able to get up to the range of the iron guns and engage in a gunfight using the help of our artillery and various terrain features, including holes created by artillery shells.

But now the place where they were fighting was an open field.

This was the optimal place to properly utilize the superior range of the Eulsik Long Rifle.

It was a fatal one-shot shot by Joseon, who had used all kinds of methods to lie about the range of the Gap-sik Long Rifle and Eul-sik Long Rifle.

The left flank of the Liaodong Army, which was under concentrated attack by the Joseon Army cavalry, began to gradually crumble.

As the enemy lines began to collapse, the Joseon Army cavalry advanced little by little and continued bombardment and shooting.

As collapse and advancement were repeated, the hole opened on the left flank of the Liaodong Army grew bigger and bigger.

And at some point, the Joseon military’s shooting stopped.

When the shooting stopped, the older Jurchen warriors shouted.

“Prepare for the assault!”

“Prepare for the assault!”

Before their cries could finish, the Joseon Army cavalry began charging.

Doo doo doo doo!

As thousands of cavalry charged at once, a heavy rumble shook the ground.

The soldiers of the Liaodong Army, who formed a square according to orders, swallowed dry saliva while clutching their iron guns and spears and waited for the Joseon army to charge.

As the sight of the cavalry aiming the long spears unique to the Joseon Army cavalry grew larger, soldiers with iron guns aimed at them.

At that moment, what struck them was the Bigyeokjincheonroe.

Kwakwakwak!

The explosion of the bigyeokjincheonroe collapsed the square in an instant, and the long spears of the Joseon army cavalry pierced them.

“The Joseon bastards’ feet are tied up! Strike!”

“We have to tie up their feet to prevent a second attack!”

“Wow!”

The first line of defense collapsed due to the charge of the Joseon Army cavalry, but the cavalry’s speed also decreased. Accordingly, the commanders of the second defense line gave orders to catch the Joseon Army cavalry that was trying to escape to the side.

The life of the cavalry was speed. Capturing them would have resulted in the loss of the greatest weapon, and it would also have prevented the second attack of the Joseon Army cavalry that would follow.

In response, the Liaodong Army soldiers shouted and rushed toward the nearby Joseon Army cavalry.

“no! Get back! “Go away!”

The Jurchen veterans shouted to fall back, but it was too late. The favorite weapon of the Joseon Army cavalry began to breathe fire.

Bang bang bang bang!

The 6-barreled mounted gun began to fire as if possessed, and the Liaodong soldiers who had gathered around fell to the ground. Other Liaodong Army soldiers hesitated at the sight, and the Joseon Army cavalry escaped to the side without taking advantage of the opportunity.

As the first attack force escaped, the second attack force attacked the Liaodong Army.

* * *

Under the attacks of the Joseon cavalry and the Joseon navy, the Liaodong army gradually began to collapse.

The Liaodong army, which had already crossed the river and attacked Insanjin’s trench line, fell into panic, from soldiers to commanders.

The Joseon army’s trench, which seemed like it could be breached with just a little more effort, was soon crowded with new Joseon soldiers and was pushing them out.

The reinforcements who were supposed to support them were being turned into meat in the middle of the Yalu River.

At the main camp across the river, pillars of fire were rising from all directions.

“It won’t work!” “Let’s run away!”

“Retreat! retreat!”

When the soldiers realized that something had gone wrong, they turned their backs and started running away.

“Stop!”

“Defend that position! “Defend!”

The commanders shouted loudly to stop the soldiers retreating. They even cut down the deserting soldiers and forced them to defend themselves, but they were buried by the retreating soldiers.

The collapse that started like that soon spread throughout the entire front.

“Retreat!”

“Run away!”

Many soldiers turned and ran toward the Yalu River, screaming loudly.

As such a disorderly retreat took place, the middle of the Yalu River turned into hell.

A situation of stagnation occurred as the soldiers who had stopped under the attack of the Panokseon and the soldiers who had run away became entangled.

And the soldiers who became entangled like this became delicious prey for the Eulsikhwacha.

“You bastards! “I know someone will just let me go!”

“Bring all the ammunition you have!”

The Joseon army, which had reached its peak, pulled the trigger like crazy towards the Liaodong army entangled in the middle of the river.