Hwacha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hwacha | |
|---|---|
 A hwacha model at the Seoul War Memorial. |
|
| Korean name | |
| Hangul: |
화차
|
| Hanja: |
火車
|
| Revised Romanization: | hwacha |
| McCune-Reischauer: | hwach'a |
Hwacha or Hwach'a [1] is an anti-personnel gunpowder weapon used in Korea, inspired by Chinese fire arrows. It was a two-wheeled cart carrying a launching pad board filled holes into which sajunchongtong (사전총통) or singijeons are placed. These small rockets attached to "Gungdo bow-arrows", flung iron spikes upon detonation. During the combat, the ammunition like tiny-sized bombards or oil rugs, to be attached to the arrows, ignited and fired, were transported on wheelbarrows [2]. Many East Asian historians believe this technological breakthrough alongside the turtle ship in the mid-16th century had a distinctive effect during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) [3]. Today, hwacha appear in Korean museums, national parks, and popular culture.
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[edit] History
Long before the development of the hwacha, China imposed severe restrictions on exporting gunpowder to Korea, keeping the secret of gunpowder to themselves. Yet, gunpowder weapons were key to the Koreans in maintaining a predominant navy in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to protect Korean fishermen and merchants against the increasing numbers of Waegu pirates.
Therefore, there was an effort by Koreans to develop gunpowder on their own. Between the years of 1374 to 1376[4], Korea began its first productions of gunpowder. In 1377, Choe Mu-seon a Korean scholar discovered a way to obtain gunpowder by extracting potassium nitrate from the soil and subsequently made Juhwa, Korea's very first rocket[5], further developments led to the birth of the family of singijeons.
The hwacha was a brainchild of its predeccesors, the Juhwa and the Singijeon. The first hwacha was made in 1409 during the Joseon Dynasty by several Koreans scientists-including Yi Do (이도) (李蹈) and Choi Hae-san (최해산) (崔海山). It is unlikely that the hwachas made around this time participated in combat.
During the rule of King Sejong, hwachas were extensively made and records showed that 90 hwachas were in use. King Sejong, the inventor of Hangul, made efforts to improve the hwacha and by the end of his rule, a single hwacha could fire 200 rocket arrows at one time.
Stronger and more effective hwachas were made in 1451 under the decree of King Munjong. At the time, 50 units were deployed in Hansung (present-day Seoul), and another 80 on the northern border. By the end of 1451, hundreds of hwachas were deployed throughout the peninsula.
[edit] Components
The hwachas structure was very similar to a hand cart that possessed mobile wood-made launch pad on the top filled with multitude of cylindrical holes ranging from 100 to 200, into which the ignitors like sajunchongtong (사전총통) were placed .
The ammunition, like the singijeon, a Korean variation of the Chinese fire arrow, comprised an arrow with iron type head and fletching section with a paper gunpowder pouch attached to it. Approximately 100 projectiles were loaded and launched in one volley, and were effective up to a range of 100 meters.
The back side of the hwacha featured two parallel arms that allowed the operator push and pull the machine, and a vertical strip designed for in line attacks or stand ground-sentry positions.
The wagon-like wheels were usually fastened by wood pivots and iron-made axles; in order to reduce friction tar oil was used.
Hwachas were usually made of pine wood like Panokseon warships, there are some versions made of oak, ropes used within were usually made of hemp. The Korean army carried siege engineers and blacksmiths in order to make repairs to the Hwacha if poor road conditions, bad weather or battle damaged the machinery.
[edit] Projectiles fired from Hwacha
- See also: Projectile
Unlike cannons or mortars used in Western warfare during the 16th century and the middle ages, which required heavy sized and heavyweight iron balls, Hwacha fired arrows which were thin and light hence turning it into an easy to maneuver siege weapon.
The holes in the top of the launching pad in Hwacha possessed a diameter ranging from an inch to an inch and a half, that allowed thin Gungdo bow-like arrows to be fired and also admit Sajunchongtong class ignitor placed in the back side of the shooting board.
Singijeon class projectiles were designed by Korean siege engineers specifically to be used in Hwacha. They were small size arrows usually shot in multiples of 100. Called (so) (소) they possessed a pouch of black powder attached in the bottom near to the fletching section. So they could be placed with the ignitor and pulled in order to shoot.
Because of the large numbers of arrows fired from Hwachas and the wide spread damage of its attack, a dense formation presented an ideal target for Hwachas.
[edit] Ballistics and range
- See also: Ballistics
The trajectory of the "so"-class(소) Singijeon projectiles was almost a straight line. Operators used to fire the weapon with an angle nearly to 45 degrees in order to achieve a better range, but the coriolis effect and weather conditions and the during the battle generally shortened their striking distance to about 100 meters.
Hwachas' range could be extended if the siege weapon was situated in elevated places like hills. Singijeon arrows from that position had a range of about 150 meters.
[edit] Usage
Hwachas were mostly used in defensive manners, however some Western and East Asian historians have recently concluded that in some cases they had been used in sea to surface attacks and in naval warfare as well, particularly in the Battle of Noryang Point, during the Imjin War in 1598.
The Hwachas were usually carried to battle highly escorted and packed tied with ropes. Once the army settled down in trenches, the operators would disassemble the siege weapon by placing the launching pad on the top. Transporting Hwachas were similar to European trebuchets and required assembling before using. All the pieces featured similar characteristics like lego bricks, the mobile launching pad could be unpacked and easily placed on the wood outlet in the top of cart.
Once Hwacha was set up for combat, the operators would use the gunpowder stored on a boot-like bag tied on its uniform on each ignitor to be used for each hole on the machine. After that, the operators were able to load the Hwacha with arrows or iron spikes and be ready for shooting. To do so, the operators stepped back and covered their ears, pulling the ropes that contained each ingitor thus blasting fire on its opponent.
At sea, maneuvers were slightly different and complex because the operator would need to find a proper and stable place to fire. Usually some Hwacha operators preferred to be in the rowers deck where they were able to shoot from the windows, while others preferred to be in the main deck so they could shoot to the sails of the enemy ships. This kind of maneuvers was particularly seen in Korean Panokseon warships.
[edit] Role during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598)
Hwachas saw action most extensively in Hideyoshi's Invasions of Korea against the Japanese soldiers. They were mostly placed in fortresses or citadels and used in defensive manners. These proved to be powerful in many battles, such as the Battle of Haengju, in which 3,400 Koreans repulsed 30,000 Japanese with the help of 40 hwachas. and was well suited to combat dense formations of Japanese soldiers.
Hwachas were also used in battleships under the navy of Admiral Yi Sun-sin to attack Japanese ships from a distance.
The Japanese Samurai ground troops, typically advanced in dense groups, presenting ideal targets for the hwacha.
[edit] Notes
- ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Reynolds, Wayne (November 2001). Siege Weapons of the Far East: Ad 612-1300, 1st Edition, US: Osprey Publishing, Limited, 48pp. ISBN 1-84176-339-X.
- ↑ ↑ Rees, David (July 2001). Korea: An Illustrated History, 2nd Edition, US: Hippocrene Books, Inc., 147pp. ISBN 0-7818-0873-1.
- ↑ ↑ Nossov, Konstantin, Vladimir Golubev (December 2005). Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons: A Fully Illustrated Guide to Siege Weapons and Tactics, 1st Edition, US: Oxford University Press, 352pp. ISBN 0-19-820639-9.
- ↑ ↑ Ki-Baik, Lee, Edward J. Schultz (September 2005). New History of Korea, 2nd Edition, US: Harvard University Press, 518. ISBN 0-674-61576-X.
- ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Doe, John (2005-04-30). Daum Encyclopedia History of Korea. Hwacha. Open Publishing. Retrieved on 2006-07-27.
[edit] References
- ^ Firaxis Developer Update (2003-09-15). Civilization III: Play the World online. The Koreans. Firaxis Games. Retrieved on 2006-07-27.
- ^ Charney, Michael (2001). Southeast Asian Warfare, 1300-1900, 1st ed., Brill Academic Publishers, Incorporated. ISBN 90-04-14240-1.
- ^ Ki-Baik, Lee, Edward J. Schultz (September 2005). New History of Korea, 2nd Edition, US: Harvard University Press, 518. ISBN 0-674-61576-X.
- ^ Seoul National University-College of Humanities-Department of History (2005-04-30). History of Science in Korea. Vestige of Scientifical work in Korea. Seoul National University. Retrieved on 2006-07-27.
- ^ Korean Broadcasting System-News department (2005-04-30). Science in Korea. Countdown Begins for Launch of South Korea’s Space Rocket. Korean Broadcasting System. Retrieved on 2006-07-27.
