Black Corporation: Joseon

Bang! Boom! Bang! Bang!

The Joseon army’s second volley showed greatly improved quantity and accuracy compared to the first.

As a result, soldiers who had gathered to resume operations suffered significant casualties.

The damage wasn’t limited to human casualties.

Crash! Crack! Rumble! Crunch!

The wooden structures installed around the Fire Dragon Cannon for reloading collapsed with loud noises, triggering a chain reaction of collapses.

BOOM!

Then the massive barrel of the Fire Dragon Cannon fell to the ground with a tremendous roar.

The catastrophe continued.

“The oil cauldrons are broken!”

The cauldrons boiling oil around the Fire Dragon Cannon were either shattered by shells or tipped over. The oil that splashed out engulfed the soldiers.

“Get away!”

“Arrrgh!”

“Hot! Hot! Hot!”

“Fire’s caught! Put it out! Put it out!”

“Bring sand! Sand!”

Soldiers who suffered oil burns or caught fire from the firewood rolled on the ground screaming. Those fortunate enough to be unharmed hurriedly threw sand on their burning comrades and the fire sites.

The items meant to protect the Fire Dragon Cannon from damage had instead become sources of injury.

***

Artillery naturally overheated with continued firing. Carelessness at such times could lead to the cannon cracking and causing severe damage to friendly forces. Therefore, water tubs with soaked straw bags or thick wool skins were positioned around the cannons.

To fire projectiles far larger than conventional artillery, the Fire Dragon Cannon used an enormous amount of powder as propellant. Naturally, the Fire Dragon Cannon had to withstand tremendous heat and shock, and to withstand the firing shock, its barrel was incredibly thick – reaching 7 chi (approximately 21 cm) in thickness.

And this tremendous thickness created problems. This thickness created a serious issue where the barrel’s interior was hot while the exterior remained cold. Furthermore, due to this thickness, the cooling rate of the barrel interior was significantly slower than conventional artillery. Therefore, with continued firing, as heat kept building up inside, the risk of the barrel cracking became relatively higher.

To prevent this, they added the method of covering the barrel with wool soaked in appropriately heated oil to reduce the temperature difference between exterior and interior.

However, a major accident occurred when Joseon artillery shells scored direct hits on the cauldrons boiling this oil.

***

The Fire Dragon Cannon battery’s tragedy wasn’t over.

A shell landed squarely among the powder wagons that had been clustered together. The boxes on the wagons were filled with powder bags.

The impact energy of the shell striking the powder-filled boxes was sufficient to detonate the powder.

BOOM!

Moments later, a huge mushroom cloud rose from where the wagons had been. Those caught in the blast wave from the nearby explosion were instantly torn apart.

Though it was black powder, weaker than the smokeless Type-Gap powder used by Joseon artillery or the powder used by 21st century militaries, the sheer quantity piled in the wagons created an enormous explosive force.

While unfortunate for the Liaodong army, their own mistakes played a large part in causing such explosions.

According to original regulations, wagons loaded with powder were supposed to be spaced at regular intervals.

But the soldiers managing the powder had ignored this.

“We’re 5 ri (about 2 km) from the Joseon positions across the Yalu River, what could possibly happen?”

“Right, right. And how much powder does that Fire Dragon Cannon eat at once? It’s more convenient to keep it all in one place.”

“Exactly! Exactly!”

“We’re busy enough just measuring powder amounts for the Fire Dragon Cannon, when do we have time to run back and forth! Let’s take the easy way!”

So the soldiers managing the powder gathered all the wagons carrying today’s powder in one place.

Though not a few officers saw this, none stopped them. Those officers shared similar thoughts.

“Any artillery capable of reaching here from that Joseon fortress would have to be enormous, but we don’t see any, right? So it’s fine, fine. Even if something does come flying, that earthen wall we piled up in front is enough.”

The officers trusted the earthen walls built in front of the Fire Dragon Cannon battery.

That mushroom cloud was the result of such complacency.

***

“What was that!”

Startled by the sudden enormous explosion and tremor from behind, Zhao Bingde immediately turned his head.

Seeing the mushroom cloud rising in the distance, Zhao Bingde muttered with a trembling voice.

“Surely not… it can’t be?”

But shortly after, an urgent report brought by a messenger thoroughly shattered his hopes.

“Fire Dragon Cannon battery hit! Heavy casualties!”

“How heavy! Speak precisely!”

At Zhao Bingde’s shout, the messenger bowed his head and answered.

“The Fire Dragon Cannons are now unusable!”

“All of them?”

“All of them, sir!”

At the messenger’s answer, Zhao Bingde’s body momentarily swayed.

“General!”

“General!”

Thanks to subordinate commanders quickly grabbing him, he avoided falling from his horse. Taking deep breaths, Zhao Bingde struggled to gather his wits.

“Hup! Hooo~”

After taking several deep breaths and barely regaining his composure, Zhao Bingde ordered his staff officer.

“Send orders immediately to units near the Fire Dragon Cannon battery to begin repairs! We must restore them as quickly as possible!”

“Yes sir!”

The staff officer organized Zhao Bingde’s orders and distributed them to messengers. Having regained his senses, Zhao Bingde turned to examine the front line situation.

Watching the fierce battle still raging around the problematic wire nets, Zhao Bingde ground his teeth.

“Damn! Damn it all!”

Of the five layers of wire nets, holes had been made in the front three layers here and there. The Liaodong vanguard that had entered through these holes was under concentrated fire from Joseon forces. But the Liaodong vanguard kept stubbornly advancing through those holes.

They were literally creating a path with soldiers’ lives.

Observing the situation through his telescope, Zhao Bingde turned to look at his staff officers.

“You understand the current situation from what you see?”

“Yes sir.”

“The Fire Dragon Cannons are now out of commission, and we’ve partially breached the iron barriers. What should we do? Break through the barriers and bypass the Joseon fortress? Or just contain the barriers and attack the fortress?”

“The casualties are too high. Wouldn’t it be better to withdraw briefly and regroup?”

“You fool!”

When one staff officer suggested withdrawal, Zhao Bingde exploded.

“Do you think this is just a simple siege? Can’t you see that river! We have to cross the river, the river!”

As Zhao Bingde pointed at the Yalu River while shouting at the top of his lungs, the staff officer who had made the problematic comment shrank his neck like a turtle and bowed his head.

“I apologize, my thinking was shallow! It’s just that the soldiers’ casualties are so high…”

“If your thinking is shallow then deepen it!”

***

As Zhao Bingde said, attacking Insan garrison was different from other sieges. The core Ming army officers’ siege experience had mainly come from facing Oirat and other Mongol tribes in the north.

Such terrain was mostly wide-open plains. Therefore, Ming forces would first surround the fortress to cut it off from outside before beginning the siege.

If enemy resistance was fierce and they had to pull back, they only needed to withdraw beyond arrow range. After such withdrawal, resting and regrouping before launching another attack was standard procedure.

However, Insan garrison had the Yalu River as a natural moat before it. Withdrawing meant crossing the Yalu again, and if they withdrew, those crafty Joseon forces would rebuild those damned iron barriers.

And the Liaodong forces would have to repeat the same thing all over again when they attacked again.

***

“Therefore, there is no withdrawal! Rather, now we must keep pushing in troops to expand this bridgehead!”

After summarizing the current situation and stating his firm resolve, Zhao Bingde again questioned his staff officers.

“So tell me which would result in fewer losses – the second barrier line or the Joseon fortress!”

At Zhao Bingde’s order, the staff officers began earnestly assessing possibilities while examining the terrain.

Of the five layers of iron barriers the Joseon forces had laid out, they had breached through to the front three.

However, the location of the breach was problematic.

They had made holes near the Joseon fortress rather than at the flanks of the barrier lines.

This meant that whichever option they chose, they would have to withstand coordinated attacks from Joseon forces in both the fortress and the barrier lines.

“If we try a flanking breakthrough…”

“There must be Joseon reserves right behind. Even an amateur wouldn’t deploy without reserves, let alone someone trained in military tactics.”

“And if proper urgent reports were sent, reinforcements would be nearby by now.”

“A siege wouldn’t be easy either.”

“But if we could take that fortress, we’d secure a solid and certain bridgehead.”

After considering various possibilities, the staff officers soon reached one conclusion.

-Concentrate all forces on the fortress! -Even if we succeed in a flanking breakthrough, proper supply lines and movement of follow-up forces would be difficult as long as that fortress exists. -But if we take the fortress, we secure a strong bridgehead. That would make it easier for soldiers to rest and regroup. -If we take the fortress, the Joseon forces at the barriers will have to retreat.

Having reached their conclusion, the staff officers advised Zhao Bingde.

“Attacking the Joseon fortress is our best option!”

“Good!”

Nodding vigorously, Zhao Bingde immediately issued orders.

“Get the gun troops and archers across!”

“Yes sir!”

“Split the forces into five – two to contain the barriers on both sides, three to focus on taking the fortress!”

“Yes sir!”

Following Zhao Bingde’s orders, the gun troops and archers began crossing the river.

“Cross as quickly as possible! Cross on foot!”

Though they had connected rafts to make pontoon bridges, there were very few of them and many soldiers who needed to cross.

In the end, many gun troops and archers had to cross the Yalu River holding their guns, powder pouches, bows and quivers high above their heads.

Splash! Splosh!

“Blub! Blub!”

“God damn it!”

During such foot crossings, soldiers who slipped and stumbled had to curse. Their pre-loaded iron guns had gotten wet and become useless.

Having eyes, they knew well what would happen once they crossed the river.

They cursed because they knew how stupid it would be to stand stiffly reloading while Joseon bullets rained down like rain.

Looking at their soaked guns, the Liaodong gun troops muttered in gloomy voices.

“Guess we’ll have to run like hell…”

Only after running desperately to some cover immediately upon reaching the opposite bank would they be able to reload alive.

***

Information about the Liaodong army’s follow-up forces crossing the river was immediately relayed to Lee Jing-ok.

“Gun troops and archers… Finally their main force is coming?”

Stroking his chin while considering options, Lee Jing-ok issued orders.

“Tell them to quickly determine where the follow-up force’s main attack will come!”

“Yes sir!”

After issuing orders, Lee Jing-ok rubbed his hands together and smiled slyly.

“It would be so nice if they target this Insan garrison… That would make things easier.”

After witnessing the fortress withstand the bombardment from those large cannons earlier, Lee Jing-ok had come to trust this fortress built according to Hyang’s plans.

Having come to believe in the fortress’s strength, Lee Jing-ok was now looking forward to seeing how sharp its hidden teeth would prove to be.

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