Dangpo Battle

The naval Battle of Dangpo was a battle during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598). between Korean and Japanese naval forces. It resulted in a Korean victory.

The day after the Battle of Sacheon

Battle of Sacheon (1592)

The naval Battle Of Sacheon took place on May 29, 1592 and was the first battle in the Imjin War when the Turtle Ship was used.-Prelude:...

, Admiral Yi Sun-shin had his fleet rested in the open sea off Saryang where they would have tactical advantage were the Japanese to execute a counterattack. Admiral Yi once again summoned his resting fleet to arms the morning of June 2nd when he received a report that 21 Japanese ships were docked at the harbor of Dangpo.
Here at Dangpo, a solemn Japanese commander, Kurushima Michiyuki, was commanding his troops to loot and burn a coastal town.

As the Korean fleet approached the Dangpo harbor, Yi Sun-shin noticed that the flagship of this Japanese fleet was anchored among the other vessels.

The naval Battle of Dangpo was a battle during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598). between Korean and Japanese naval forces. It resulted in a Korean victory.

Prelude

The day after the Battle of Sacheon

Battle of Sacheon (1592)

The naval Battle Of Sacheon took place on May 29, 1592 and was the first battle in the Imjin War when the Turtle Ship was used.-Prelude:...

, Admiral Yi Sun-shin had his fleet rested in the open sea off Saryang where they would have tactical advantage were the Japanese to execute a counterattack. Admiral Yi once again summoned his resting fleet to arms the morning of June 2nd when he received a report that 21 Japanese ships were docked at the harbor of Dangpo.
Here at Dangpo, a solemn Japanese commander, Kurushima Michiyuki, was commanding his troops to loot and burn a coastal town.

The Attack

As the Korean fleet approached the Dangpo harbor, Yi Sun-shin noticed that the flagship of this Japanese fleet was anchored among the other vessels. Realizing the golden opportunity, Admiral Yi lead the assault with his own flagship (a turtleship) targeting the Japanese flagship. The sturdy construction of his turteship allowed Yi Sun-shin to easily ram through the line of Japanese ships and position his ship right alongside the anchored Japanese flagship. The light construction of the Japanese ship was no match for a full broadside assault and was left sinking in minutes. From the Turtle Ship, a hail of cannonballs rained down on the other ships, destroying more vessels. The Koreans circled the other ships anchored and began to sink them. Then, a Korean archer shot an arrow into Kurushima. The Japanese commander fell dead and a Korean captain jumped onboard and cut off his head.

The Japanese soldiers panicked upon seeing the beheading of their admiral and were slaughtered by the Koreans in their confusion. Admiral Yi ordered a landing party to destroy the enemy base on the beach, but once again was forced to recall his order when he heard reports that at least 20 ships were bearing down on them from Koje-do. Wishing to give his fleet the greatest tactical advantage possible, he ordered his ships to sail out of the bay and into the open sea. The battle would not continue on this day however, as the Japanese ships made a hasty retreat into the descending darkness upon seeing the intimidating Korean fleet.

Aftermath

After the battle, the Koreans searched Kurushima's flagship and captured a beautiful golden fan that had been personally presented to Kurushima by Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo in the Sengoku period who unified Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the...

 himself. After the Battle of Dangpo, Admiral Yi set out and searched the surrounding islands until he received a report from fishermen that another small fleet of Japanese ships lay anchored at Tanghangpo, which was to be the site of another battle.