Battle of Bun'ei

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Battle of Bun'ei
Part of the Mongol invasions of Japan
Defensive wall at Hakata. Moko Shurai Ekotoba, (蒙古襲来絵詞) c.1293.
Date November 20, 1274 Location Hakata Bay, near present-day Fukuoka, Kyūshū Result Japanese victory.
Belligerents
Kamakura shogunate	Mongols
Commanders
Hōjō Tokimune	Kublai Khan
Strength
5,000～10,000?	23,000～30,000?
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The battle of Bun'ei (文永の役, Bun'ei no eki^?), also known as the First Battle of Hakata Bay was the first attempt 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 capital of Dazaifu. Despite superior weapons and tactics, which had allowed them to create the huge Mongol empire, the Mongols landing at Hakata Bay were grossly outnumbered by the samurai force; the Japanese had been preparing, mobilizing warriors and reinforcing defenses since they heard of the losses at Tsushima and Iki. The Mongols were forced to retreat after only one day of fighting, and a storm that night threatened their ships, persuading them to return to Korea.

[edit] The battle

After landing in the bay, the Mongol force quickly overtook the town of Hakata (now a ward of Fukuoka), but were engaged by a number of samurai soon afterwards. At first, these samurai were helplessly outmatched; the samurai were accustomed to single horse archery combat, and could not match the organization and close combat of the invaders. The Mongols fought on horseback, loosing heavy volleys of arrows into the group of Japanese. They also wielded a form of firecracker catapult, and their infantry used phalanx-like tactics, holding off the samurai with their shields and spears. Though unable to definitively defeat the Mongols, the Japanese fought hard, and inflicted heavy casualties.

Despite their initial victories, the Mongols did not pursue the samurai further inland to the defenses at Dazaifu. Most likely this was as a result of their unfamiliarity with the terrain, the expectation of Japanese reinforcements, and the heavy losses already suffered. This group, which some theorize to have been a reconnaissance group and not the true invasion force, returned to their ships, intending perhaps to regroup and attack again the following day.

That night, the Mongols lost roughly one-third of their force in a storm. They retreated back to Korea, presumably at the prodding of their Korean sailors and captains.

[edit] See also

• Battle of Kōan - the second invasion attempt by the Mongols, in 1281.
• Mongol invasions of Japan

[edit] References

• Davis, Paul K. (1999). "100 Decisive Battles: From Ancient Times to the Present." Oxford: Oxford University Press.