Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598)

A famous Korean national hero, a famous anti-Japanese patriotic general, and an outstanding military strategist. During the Imjin Patriotic War, he used excellent military strategies to command the Korean Navy to defeat the invading Japanese Navy many times, and achieved a series of naval battle victories, making a significant contribution to the final victory of the entire Patriotic War.

Since 1591, Japan has actively begun preparations for a war of aggression against Korea. At a time when the country was in crisis, Yi Sun-shin was appointed to the important naval position of Jeolla Zudo Navy Commander. After Yi Sun-shin took office, he made every effort to strengthen the construction of the navy and prepare for anti-aggression war. He focused on reorganizing the army and transforming weapons. In terms of reorganizing the army, he absorbed the fine traditions of the Korean Navy and the advanced experience of foreign countries, reformed the combat formations, strategies and tactics of his navy; and strengthened the patriotic education of the troops, so that the commanders and soldiers became loyal to the motherland and loyal to the motherland. A brave warrior. Advanced weapons are an important factor in defeating the enemy. In order to improve the combat effectiveness of the North Korean Navy, Yi Sun-shin also modified the "Turtle Ship". The improved "turtle ship" is more than 10 feet long and more than 1 feet wide. The hull and the "turtle shell" on it are made of hardwood and covered with iron plates, making it difficult for enemy gunfire to damage it. The iron plate is also equipped with dense iron nails to prevent the enemy from climbing during the boarding battle. There is a large dragon's head on the bow with two gun holes. It can burn sulfur and other materials in the ship while it is moving. The smoke is ejected from the dragon's mouth, which can hide itself and confuse the enemy. There are many gun holes drilled around the hull to facilitate soldiers to fire at the enemy inside the ship. At the same time, there are 10 oars on each side of the ship, which can be rowed together during battle. It can sail quickly and advance and retreat freely. The enlarged hull can store more fresh water and food, making it suitable for long-term and long-distance voyages. The turtle ships modified by Yi Sun-shin were immediately put into mass production and played a huge role in the subsequent Imjin War.

In April 1592, the Japanese invaders landed in Busan, North Korea with the superior strength of the army, and at the same time coordinated the army's operations with a powerful fleet. Yi Sun-shin commanded the North Korean navy to fight hard, repeatedly defeating the Japanese navy, firmly controlling the sea, and slowing down the Japanese army's offensive speed.

In early May, Yi Sun-shin's navy and the Japanese navy launched a fierce battle on the Okpo ocean. At that time, the Japanese army was so arrogant that they did not take the Korean navy seriously. Most of the sailors on the Japanese warships in Okpo Port went ashore and went into the villages to rob them. Taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, Yi Sun-shin led 85 ships to covertly sail towards Okpo Port. He immediately sank or burned 26 enemy ships. That night, he sank and destroyed 18 more enemy ships. Only one person in the North Korean navy was injured.

From the end of May to early June, Yi Sun-shin commanded the Battle of Tangpu. On May 29, Yi Sun-shin led 23 warships equipped with turtle ships to join the navy commanded by Won-gyun and prepared to launch an attack on the Japanese positions on the ocean side of Sacheon. When he arrived at the predetermined location, Yi Sun-shin found that the terrain occupied by the enemy was difficult and difficult to attack, so he adapted to the situation and adopted the tactic of retreating to advance to lure the enemy out of the port and prepare to annihilate the enemy on the ocean. Seeing that the Korean navy retreated without a fight, the Japanese navy mistook it for cowardice and pursued it with all its strength. When the enemy pursued them to the sea area that was favorable to the North Korean Navy, Yi Sun-shin unexpectedly turned his retreat into an advance. Using his "turtle ship" as a vanguard, he rushed into the enemy's formation, rammed left and right, shuttled back and forth, and fired various artillery pieces at the same time. The ship was rammed or sunk. Not to be outdone, the other warships fired arrows and cannons, causing the Japanese fleet to be in chaos. After a fierce battle, all the Japanese ships involved in the pursuit were either sunk or captured. On June 2, Yi Sun-shin led a fleet to attack the enemy in Tangpo, causing the turtle ship to rush towards the enemy flagship and smash it. At the same time, he set fire to all 21 enemy ships in Tangpo. On June 5, Yi Sun-shin and Li In-ki's troops adopted the tactics of luring the enemy out to sea and attacking from both front and rear, and burned 26 more enemy ships. In July, the North Korean navy destroyed nearly a hundred enemy ships in the naval battle of Hansan Island, annihilating the main force of the enemy navy in one fell swoop.

In order to save the defeat, the Japanese invaders succeeded in their counterintuitive plan, and Yi Sun-shin was dismissed from his post. As a result, almost the entire North Korean Navy was destroyed, and the Hansan Island base camp was occupied by the enemy.

At this time, under the strong pressure of domestic public opinion, the imperial court re-appointed Yi Sun-shin as commander of the three-way navy, entrusting him with the important task of saving the country from danger.

But at the same time, the imperial court believed that the navy had collapsed and was unable to defend itself against the enemy, so it ordered Yi Sun-shin to lead his troops to land for battle. Yi Sun-shin, who was ordered to come back when he was in danger, understood the situation with the eyes of a military strategist and believed that the navy could never be abolished. Based on the remaining 12 warships and 120 sailors, Yi Sun-shin first replenished some soldiers and stepped up training. Second, he re-selected a new naval base. Yi Sun-shin carefully analyzed the strength and other factors of both the enemy and ourselves. It is obvious that the enemy has an absolute advantage in strength. If we want to win, we must rely on geographical advantages, that is, use favorable terrain to attack the enemy. At the end of August, Yi Sun-shin commanded the North Korean navy to repel eight enemy ships that came for a sneak attack, and then voluntarily withdrew to the dangerous Jindo Bibojeong to hide. Yi Sun-shin knew the terrain of this area well: there was a small island blocking it in front, and dozens of warships could be hidden in the harbor; what was even more advantageous was that there was a narrow channel in this sea area, the Myeongryang Strait. The tide here rises and falls 4 times a day. Yi Sun-shin believed that this "difficult and narrow road" was a good battlefield to kill the enemy. He sent people to secretly set up iron ropes and wooden stakes at the east and west exits of Myongryang Strait. The purpose was to prevent enemy ships that entered during high tide from leaving when the tide receded, providing the North Korean navy with an ideal place to catch turtles in the urn.

On September 16, the Japanese army launched an attack on the North Korean Navy with 330 warships and more than 20,000 troops. In the case of a huge disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves, Yi Sun-shin responded confidently and calmly. He first sent several warships to attack the enemy ships and led a large number of enemy ships into the Myeongryang Strait. Soon, the tide receded, and the enemy ships were blocked by hidden iron cables and wooden piles and could not sail out. Yi Sun-shin immediately sent a navy to counterattack, using 12 warships to sink more than 30 enemy ships and annihilate more than 4,000 enemy people. This is the famous "Myeongryang Victory" in Korean history, and it is also a glorious battle example in the world's naval history of defeating more with less.