Battle of Koan
Encyclopedia
The , also known as the Second Battle of Hakata Bay, was the second attempt by the Yuan Dynasty
founded by the Mongols
to invade Japan
. They had failed seven years earlier, in the Battle of Bun'ei
, and would spend the summer of 1281 gathering two invasion forces, only to see it destroyed by a storm, called by the Japanese "divine wind", or kamikaze
.
also further trained themselves, perfecting their swordsmanship
.
Early 1280, Kublai Khan
planned another invasion of Japan. He ordered his ship builders to rebuild the whole fleet within a year. As a result, many of the ships were poorly made, and many were flat-bottomed river boats requisitioned by the Emperor.
, dubbed the Eastern Route Army. They were crewed by 17,000 sailors, and transported 10,000 Korean soldiers and 15,000 Mongols and Chinese
. The Southern Route Army, meanwhile, was assembled just south of the Yangtze River
, in China
. It purportedly consisted of 100,000 men on 3,500 ships. As before, Iki
and Tsushima
islands fell quickly under the great numbers and battle prowess of the Yuan forces.
The Eastern Route Army arrived at Hakata Bay on June 21, and decided to proceed with the invasion without waiting for the larger Southern force which had still not left China. They were a short distance to the north and east of where their force landed in 1274, and were in fact beyond the walls and defenses constructed by the Japanese. However, the samurai made up for this quickly, assaulting the invaders with waves of skillful attackers, denying them the beachhead.
At night, small boats would carry small bands of samurai into the bay, among the Yuan fleet. Under cover of darkness, they would sneak aboard the enemy ships, kill as many as they could, and escape back to land before dawn. This harassing tactic led the Yuan forces to retreat to Tsushima, where they would wait for their Southern Route Army. However, over the course of the next several weeks, the close quarters and hot weather would kill 3,000 men. Yuan forces never gained a beachhead.
The first of the Southern force ships arrived on July 16, and by August 12, the two fleets were ready to attack Japan. Beginning on August 15, an incredible tempest struck the Tsushima Straits, lasting two full days and decimating the Yuan fleet. Contemporary Japanese accounts indicate that over 4000 ships were destroyed in the storm; 80 percent of the Yuan soldiers either drowned or were killed by samurai on the beaches. The loss of ships was so great that "a person could walk across from one point of land to another on a mass of wreckage".
, Central Asia and its costs, and no third attempt was ever made.
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
founded by the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
to invade Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. They had failed seven years earlier, in the Battle of Bun'ei
Battle of Bun'ei
The , also known as the First Battle of Hakata Bay was the first attempt by the Yuan Dynasty founded by the Mongols to invade Japan. After conquering the Tsushima Island and Iki, Kublai Khan's fleet moved on to Japan proper, landing at Hakata Bay, a short distance from Kyūshū's administrative...
, and would spend the summer of 1281 gathering two invasion forces, only to see it destroyed by a storm, called by the Japanese "divine wind", or kamikaze
Kamikaze (typhoon)
The Kamikaze , were two winds or storms that are said to have saved Japan from two Mongol fleets under Kublai Khan. These fleets attacked Japan in 1274 and again in 1281...
.
Background
Following the failed first invasion by the Yuan navy, the Japanese made many defense preparations. Many forts were constructed along the coast line. SamuraiSamurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
also further trained themselves, perfecting their swordsmanship
Swordsmanship
Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...
.
Early 1280, Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
planned another invasion of Japan. He ordered his ship builders to rebuild the whole fleet within a year. As a result, many of the ships were poorly made, and many were flat-bottomed river boats requisitioned by the Emperor.
Battle
By June 1281, 900 Yuan ships were gathered in KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, dubbed the Eastern Route Army. They were crewed by 17,000 sailors, and transported 10,000 Korean soldiers and 15,000 Mongols and Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
. The Southern Route Army, meanwhile, was assembled just south of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
, in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It purportedly consisted of 100,000 men on 3,500 ships. As before, Iki
Iki Island
Iki Island is an island lying between the island of Kyūshū and the Tsushima islands in the Tsushima Strait, the eastern channel of the Korea Strait. It is currently part of Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan. The city of Iki is the centre of the local government. The island has three ports.The island’s...
and Tsushima
Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island is an island of the Japanese Archipelago situated in the middle of the Tsushima Strait at 34°25'N and 129°20'E. The main island of Tsushima was once a single island, but the island was divided into two in 1671 by the Ōfunakosiseto canal and into three in 1900 by the Manzekiseto canal...
islands fell quickly under the great numbers and battle prowess of the Yuan forces.
The Eastern Route Army arrived at Hakata Bay on June 21, and decided to proceed with the invasion without waiting for the larger Southern force which had still not left China. They were a short distance to the north and east of where their force landed in 1274, and were in fact beyond the walls and defenses constructed by the Japanese. However, the samurai made up for this quickly, assaulting the invaders with waves of skillful attackers, denying them the beachhead.
At night, small boats would carry small bands of samurai into the bay, among the Yuan fleet. Under cover of darkness, they would sneak aboard the enemy ships, kill as many as they could, and escape back to land before dawn. This harassing tactic led the Yuan forces to retreat to Tsushima, where they would wait for their Southern Route Army. However, over the course of the next several weeks, the close quarters and hot weather would kill 3,000 men. Yuan forces never gained a beachhead.
The first of the Southern force ships arrived on July 16, and by August 12, the two fleets were ready to attack Japan. Beginning on August 15, an incredible tempest struck the Tsushima Straits, lasting two full days and decimating the Yuan fleet. Contemporary Japanese accounts indicate that over 4000 ships were destroyed in the storm; 80 percent of the Yuan soldiers either drowned or were killed by samurai on the beaches. The loss of ships was so great that "a person could walk across from one point of land to another on a mass of wreckage".
Aftermath
Kublai Khan began to gather forces to prepare for a third invasion attempt in 1284, but ultimately was distracted by events in Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Central Asia and its costs, and no third attempt was ever made.