After the victory at Okpo, Yi Sun-sin’s fleet returns to Yeosu and rests for several days.
They repair broken ships and refill gunpowder and arrows, then sail south again.
A Harbor Caught by Low Tide
Reaching Sacheon, a scout ship reports Japanese ships anchored inside a narrow harbor.
The problem is the tide. It happens to be low, the water shallow, making it very hard for the heavy panokseon to enter the harbor and fight.
Feigning a Retreat to Lure Them Out
After a moment’s thought, Yi Sun-sin finds a way. He will have the fleet feign a retreat, drawing the Japanese ships out into open water.
Seeing the Joseon ships pull back, the Japanese give chase and leave the harbor. Once they reach open water, the Joseon fleet turns as one and attacks.
The Turtle Ship Cuts the Sea for the First Time
In this battle the turtle ship, long in preparation, sees combat for the first time. Wrapped in a heavy shell, it cuts through the enemy ships without hesitation.
The Japanese answer with arrows and gunfire, but none of it breaks the shell. Where the turtle ship has torn the ranks open, the panokseon following behind finish the work with cannon fire.
A Wound Hidden Through the Fight
In the middle of the battle, Yi Sun-sin is struck by a bullet in his left shoulder. Pain runs through his whole body for a moment, but his face does not change.
If word gets out that the commander is hurt, morale could collapse. He bears the pain and keeps commanding.
Only after the battle is completely over does he call an officer and have the bullet dug out with the tip of a knife. The wound will not heal for a long time after.
Today, What Comes First
A single new ship has changed the shape of the battlefield. But this chapter leaves behind more than the story of one weapon.
Even wounded, he weighed the unsettlement of the people beside him before his own pain. That weighing is what completed the victory at Sacheon.
The fleet turns again. Next it heads for a harbor named Dangpo.