Admiral Yi Sun-Sin was a Korean naval leader in the Imjin War, who won all 23 of his battles by using excellent military tactics and strategies, even though he was out-numbered in every battle he fought. The Battle of Hansando, which was the most important battle in that it turned the tide of the war. Admiral Yi’s navy was heavily outnumbered by the Japanese vessels (56 Korean ships against 73 Japanese ships), but Yi was victorious through excellent military tactics. Japanese casualties were 66 ships destroyed, and over 9000 soldiers dead, while Korea lost no ships, and only 19 soldiers.
Perhaps Yi’s most amazing victory was in the Battle of Myeongnyang, where he did the impossible by defeating 333 Japanese ships with only 13 ships. The end results were 123 ships disabled and/or destroyed, and 18,000 Japanese soldiers dead, while Yi’s fleet lost no ships and lost only 36 soldiers at most.
Admiral Yi is also credited for his invention of the effective Turtle Ship (pictured above). The ship had a spiked top, making boarding almost impossible, and had a dragon head the front, which could shoot out smoke or cannon balls.
Admiral Yi was even credited by Japanese Admiral, Tetsutaro Sato, where he chose Admiral Yi over Lord Nelson as the better military Commander:“Throughout history there have been few generals accomplished at the tactics of frontal attack, sudden attack, concentration and dilation. Napoleon, who mastered the art of conquering the part with the whole, can be held to have been such a general, and among admirals, two further tactical geniuses may be named: in the East, Yi Sun-sin of Korea, and in the West, Horatio Nelson of England. Undoubtedly, Yi is a supreme naval commander even on the basis of the limited literature of the Seven-Year War, and despite the fact that his bravery and brilliance are not known to the West, since he had the misfortune to be born in Joseon Dynasty. Anyone who can be compared to Yi should be better than Michiel de Ruyter from the Netherlands. Nelson is far behind Yi in terms of personal character and integrity. Yi was the inventor of the covered warship known as the turtle ship. He was a truly great commander and a master of the naval tactics of three hundred years ago.” Today, Admiral Yi is remembered as Korea’s greatest hero, and the one of the greatest military leaders in history.
