Admiral Yi Sun-sin: From the Miracle at Myeongnyang to His Final Stand

After being stripped of his rank and tortured, Admiral Yi Sun-sin returned to a decimated navy with only 13 ships remaining.
​We break down:
​The Miracle at Myeongnyang: How Yi used the treacherous currents of the Myeongnyang Strait to defeat a Japanese fleet of over 130 ships.
​Naval Genius: The psychology and strategy behind the world's greatest naval commander.
​The Final Stand at Noryang: The circumstances surrounding his death and his famous final words: "The battle is at its height... do not announce my death."
​Whether you are a fan of military history or the "Admiral" film trilogy, this episode explores the true history of the man who never lost a battle at sea.

Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com 

Website

honourablementions.buzzsprout.com

Facebook

Honourable Mentions 

Instagram 

honourablementionspod

TikTok 

honourable.mentionspod

Discord

honourablementions

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Previously on honorable mention. In 1592, a crack Korean officer was fired by a military court for a crime he didn't commit. But like a wet mullet leaping from the waves, he rose again to lead their navy, invent the famous turtleships, and build an invincible fighting force. Now, wanted by the invading Japanese, he survives as the last batch of hope for the people of Korea. If you have a problem, if no one else can help. If you can find him, maybe you can hire Yi Sun Sin.

SPEAKER_06 0:39

Hello, listener. How are you? Welcome to Honorable Mentions! Honorable Merchants. Now, if you listened to last week's episode about Yi Sun Sin, you would know that this is part two of an epic story of possibly the greatest naval admiral that ever lived. So we will be continuing part two. If you haven't listened to part one yet, I very much recommend that you go back and do that before you engage with this episode, because you're not going to have a clue what we're talking about. But if you can't wait and you want to hear from him first, let's get him on board. See what I did with our naval shipping joke. Let's get him on board. Let's pipe him on board, listener. Hello, Neil.

SPEAKER_04 1:36

Hello, Stevie. How are you? Just piped myself on board.

SPEAKER_06 1:40

You piped yourself on board there, because I was I neglected, didn't I?

SPEAKER_04 1:44

You did neglect it. Fine. I'm over it now.

SPEAKER_06 1:47

You're over it, yeah?

SPEAKER_04 1:48

Yeah, I'm over it.

SPEAKER_06 1:49

We're going to Tuesday, the 7th of July, 1592, Neil. Can you tell me your whereabouts?

SPEAKER_04 1:55

Uh I wasn't born.

SPEAKER_06 1:57

Tuesday the 7th of July 1592, just after Pointless.

SPEAKER_04 2:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:02

When his spaghetti hoops were on the stove.

SPEAKER_04 2:04

Oh, lovely.

SPEAKER_06 2:06

Ye was told of a massive build-up of 73 Japanese ships heading towards them through a narrow strait.

SPEAKER_04 2:15

Seventy-three, so savid.

SPEAKER_06 2:19

Ye Sun Sea now had fifty-six ships.

SPEAKER_04 2:22

That's easy, isn't it?

SPEAKER_06 2:24

And two of those included his new turtle ships. But he was outnumbered again. And if listening, you're thinking turtle ships? What is he talking about? Go back to the last episode and hear all about his unclad turtle ships and what an innovation they were at the time. They were quite space age, what they knew at the time.

SPEAKER_04 2:45

They were space age, yes. And they were they didn't have um sails or anything. They were pulled along by turtles.

unknown 2:52

Were they?

SPEAKER_04 2:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 2:53

Oh, I didn't know that bit.

SPEAKER_04 2:55

Hmm.

SPEAKER_07 2:56

Okay, thank you.

SPEAKER_06 2:56

You've been revising, have you?

SPEAKER_04 2:58

Armoured turtles, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 3:00

Armoured turtles?

SPEAKER_04 3:01

Yeah, had helmets and everything.

SPEAKER_06 3:03

Were they mutant and ninja these turtles?

SPEAKER_04 3:05

No, they weren't ninja turt ninja turtles, so they're just normal normal bog standard turtles off the beach at turn.

SPEAKER_06 3:11

Did they did they call him Hey little dude like that?

SPEAKER_04 3:15

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 3:18

Nevertheless, by the following morning Ye was there, ready to face down his enemy.

SPEAKER_04 3:24

Yeah, stood on this poop deck going, Come on then, say it.

SPEAKER_06 3:27

Good, son. Once again he used the old bait and chase, sending two small ships out and luring the Japanese into hunting. Ooh, chase me, chase me. I need to bump head first into the Korean Navy.

SPEAKER_04 3:42

Ah.

SPEAKER_06 3:43

And this time ye had a new tactic. Crane's wings.

SPEAKER_04 3:50

Crane's wings?

SPEAKER_06 3:52

Where the Koreans surrounded the Japanese in a U formation.

SPEAKER_04 3:57

Alright.

SPEAKER_06 3:58

Like a bend.

SPEAKER_04 3:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 4:00

Trapping them before unleashing all hell to sink them to the bottom of the sea.

SPEAKER_04 4:05

Wow. But luckily, really, the two ends of the U didn't shoot each other.

SPEAKER_06 4:10

Well, I was thinking if you've got a U that surrounds the Japanese, then yeah. Imagine it was quite a wide U.

SPEAKER_04 4:17

It need to be, wouldn't it? Because otherwise it'd be a bit yeah. You'd been shooting each other's. It needs to be sort of a few miles across, I would say.

SPEAKER_06 4:26

This Neil. Neil, you're still there. Still there. This was one of the largest battles in all history. It raged for hours. Hours. Hours. And in the end, forty-seven. Forty-seven Japanese ships.

SPEAKER_04 4:43

Who changed the decisions, yeah?

SPEAKER_06 4:45

Did right on New Zealander. Yeah. In the end, forty-seven Japanese ships were sunk. Ooh. Twelve were captured. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:54

And guess what? I would say there was no casualties on the Korean side.

SPEAKER_06 5:00

No Korean ship got so much as a splash up its boot deck.

SPEAKER_04 5:04

Really?

SPEAKER_06 5:04

When Hideyoshi heard, and if you remember Hideyoshi was the Japanese commander, wasn't he?

SPEAKER_04 5:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:16

When Hideyoshi heard, he ordered the end to all naval assaults.

SPEAKER_04 5:21

Did he?

SPEAKER_06 5:23

Instead, they would simply protect Busan as the key to being able to bring in supplies and continue with their land assault.

SPEAKER_04 5:33

Yeah, don't worry about the sea. We don't need the sea. That's what he said.

SPEAKER_06 5:36

Now it was September the first, fifteen ninety-two.

SPEAKER_04 5:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 5:41

And Yi rallied his fleet to storm Busan and open up a whole can of Japanese whoopas. You can get those who are.

SPEAKER_04 5:50

That's the worst Whoopas you can get.

SPEAKER_06 5:52

Yeah. Japanese Whoopas.

SPEAKER_04 5:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:55

Yeah. It's 166 ships now.

SPEAKER_04 5:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:00

Up against Japan with their more than 500. But oh no, Neil.

SPEAKER_04 6:07

Go on.

SPEAKER_06 6:07

The Japanese had learnt their lesson and they held firm in the harbour, protected by cannon on all sides, and refused to be drawn out in the old bait and chase.

SPEAKER_07 6:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:19

Despite Korea sending a procession of increasingly sexy ships.

SPEAKER_04 6:23

Yeah, I'd say, yeah, they'd be sort of Whee.

SPEAKER_06 6:27

Yeah, sort of sails of lingerie. Chase me, boys, chase me. Yeah, but no, they wouldn't be drawn out. At the end on the first day, Yi's superior firepower had blown apart 130 Japanese vessels. But although he was still without so much of a scratch, Japan continued to control Busan.

SPEAKER_04 6:53

Yeah. The war reached a stalemate. What? Busan.

SPEAKER_07 7:00

Busan is a cheese, is it Nil?

SPEAKER_04 7:04

Garlicky cheese, f sort of soft cheese.

SPEAKER_06 7:07

You're thinking of Red Leicester.

SPEAKER_04 7:09

Oh okay. Yeah, you're right, sorry.

SPEAKER_06 7:13

Sounds similar.

SPEAKER_04 7:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:14

The water reached a stalemate, Neil.

SPEAKER_04 7:16

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 7:18

But then, in the height of a bitter cold winter, the Chinese army arrived in the north and began to drive back the Japanese.

SPEAKER_04 7:26

Oh, that's nice of 'em.

SPEAKER_06 7:28

That was nice of them, given a return trip, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_04 7:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:30

Get in the back.

SPEAKER_04 7:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:32

Eventually relieving Pyongyang and then Seoul itself.

SPEAKER_04 7:38

Nice.

SPEAKER_06 7:39

Yi was promoted to supreme commander of the Korean Army.

SPEAKER_04 7:44

That is a commander, isn't it?

SPEAKER_06 7:46

Supreme commander of the Korean army. Again and again he asked for more Marines to help him dislodge the Japanese from Busan by breaking through their guns. But because of the focus of men and resources on the land battle, none were forthcoming.

SPEAKER_04 8:04

No.

SPEAKER_06 8:05

What's the point in that? He's asking for Marines and they're sending in nuns.

SPEAKER_04 8:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:10

What are they gonna do?

SPEAKER_04 8:11

Oh, you never know.

SPEAKER_06 8:12

Quit showing me cross. Crossing furious. No, everything's a ninja. Anyway, yeah he was forced to sit in.

SPEAKER_04 8:23

Right.

SPEAKER_06 8:24

But he didn't waste his time while he was sitting in Nil.

SPEAKER_04 8:26

No.

SPEAKER_06 8:27

He invited refugees to his base of operations and promised them food, shelter, and safety if they worked the land. Right. Soon the operations grew to boat building and uniform manufacturing, and forges were built to produce Koreans' first successful muskets to match the fire power of the Japanese.

SPEAKER_04 8:52

She had plenty of time, Miss Anza, because that wouldn't have taken five minutes to do that, would it? Not they should have the ATM and then you stood in the barn with a um an old car and a welder.

SPEAKER_06 9:01

Oh, do you reckon that's what happened?

SPEAKER_04 9:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:03

Yeah, that's what happened, I should think.

SPEAKER_04 9:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:05

Japanese were there in Busan Harbour thinking, oh, this is alright, it's all gone quiet. There's no one around.

SPEAKER_04 9:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:14

Using the barn, yeah. With a a welder and a blow torch.

SPEAKER_04 9:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:19

And he's got, yeah, his boat's got metal cladding all over it.

SPEAKER_04 9:22

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:23

He's going, get out of my way, fool.

SPEAKER_04 9:25

Yeah, getting our plane fool.

SPEAKER_06 9:26

Oh, I think we've worked this out, haven't we?

SPEAKER_04 9:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:29

Yeah. We ought to go to these two universities as a little thesis.

SPEAKER_04 9:32

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_06 9:34

I think we should. So he didn't waste his time. The operations grew into boat building and uniform manufacturing, and forges were built to produce Korean's first successful muskets to max the Japanese firepower. During this time, the Korean-Chinese-Japanese war, as it was now, ground to stalemate, and peace negotiations broke out for three and a half years.

SPEAKER_04 9:58

Three and a half years.

SPEAKER_06 10:00

That's some negotiation.

SPEAKER_04 10:01

That's a hell of a conversation that, innit?

SPEAKER_06 10:03

Until it ended in failure.

SPEAKER_04 10:06

After three and a half years.

SPEAKER_06 10:07

And Hideyoshi returned with over one hundred and forty thousand men.

SPEAKER_04 10:14

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 10:15

As the Japanese fleet set sail, the Korean court received intelligence to say that not only that one Japanese commander would be landing at a particular site, but suggesting that the great Yi Sun-Sin, who we've been talking about, be dispatched there immediately to sink the fleet.

SPEAKER_04 10:36

Right.

SPEAKER_06 10:37

Of course, Yi knew they were yanking his chain and setting him up for a right kicking, so he refused to go. Because he thought he thought this intelligence, yeah, they're saying we're going to be landing here, just one commander, and really he thinks they're probably all going to be there. And they're going to absolutely whoop me. The court was outraged, though, Neil.

SPEAKER_04 10:57

Yeah, well they would be, wouldn't they?

SPEAKER_06 10:59

They would be. They outmaneuvered Ryu and had Yi arrested again for treason for failing to follow orders.

SPEAKER_04 11:06

Oh, that's fair enough. Because he had done.

SPEAKER_06 11:09

He was replaced as head of the army by one Kion. Do you remember him?

SPEAKER_04 11:13

Hmm. Re refresh my memory.

SPEAKER_06 11:16

He was the guy who let the original Japanese invading force just paddle in unchallenged.

SPEAKER_04 11:21

Ah, yes. Diplomatic immunity.

SPEAKER_06 11:26

Yeah. Yi should have been sentenced to death, but the few friends he did have at court managed to save him from the rope. Instead, he was demoted all the way diddly diddly diddly diddly back down to the lowest possible rank of private. Again. Again.

SPEAKER_03 11:45

Well the people in them barracks would be saying, Oh, it's back again. What have you done this time, you fool? Yeah, why you here again? Hell are you going up with you? You got up to the Supreme Leader and now you're back down here again. What have you been up to?

SPEAKER_06 11:56

How can you all lick and clean the urinals? Yeah. The Japanese tried the same trick and leaked a message to the Koreans about a large transport fleet that would be easy pick-ins.

SPEAKER_03 12:07

They told a lie.

SPEAKER_06 12:08

They did telephib. One kion took all of ye ships and headed straight into battle.

SPEAKER_04 12:15

Yeah. Idiot.

SPEAKER_06 12:17

Only only to arrive and discover there were no harmless transports, but a massive fleet of 500 Japanese warships.

SPEAKER_04 12:25

Wow. That's something to see, innit? But then again, you'd probably see it from a distance and think, woo hoo hoo hoo. Let's turn round, dear fellas.

SPEAKER_06 12:33

This guy probably thought they were just a diplomatic mission or a trading country.

SPEAKER_04 12:37

Yeah, he probably thinks it's full of tea or something.

SPEAKER_06 12:39

Yeah, they've got cannons, sir. Nonsense, boy.

SPEAKER_04 12:43

No, they're just big pipes.

SPEAKER_06 12:45

Soon, Won Kian had lost thirty ships. And remember, Yi had never lost a single one.

SPEAKER_04 12:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:54

On top of that, the Japanese were allowed to sail so close they could board and capture Korean ships, slaughtering everyone on board.

SPEAKER_04 13:02

Dear.

SPEAKER_06 13:03

Won Kian ordered a retreat to a nearby island where his men could take time to gather water and supplies, but he hadn't realized that the island was under Japanese control.

SPEAKER_04 13:14

Oh for goodness sake.

SPEAKER_06 13:19

Again his men were hunted down and slaughtered. I think they were. Then at night, as the hungry, tired, and thirsty survivors of Wang Jen's fleet awaited his orders, the Japanese struck with full fury. I think it's Tyson's younger brother.

SPEAKER_04 13:36

I was to say, is he one of them, is he?

SPEAKER_06 13:38

Yeah. Of the remaining 169 ships of Yi's fleet, 157 were sunk. Including every turtle ship ever built. Only twelve of Yi's unbeatable naval fleet remained afloat. It was an utter disaster. So what do you think the Koreans did next?

SPEAKER_04 14:04

I would say they got rid of him and they said, Come on, you Sun Sin, let's get you back up here, pal, we need you.

SPEAKER_06 14:10

They went groveling back to private Sun Sin, didn't they?

SPEAKER_04 14:14

Yeah, they have to, wouldn't they?

SPEAKER_06 14:18

Only this time they were gonna have to disband the navy.

SPEAKER_04 14:22

But they didn't have one.

SPEAKER_06 14:23

But Say what said Supreme Commander again, Sun Sin.

unknown 14:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 14:28

I should cocoa.

SPEAKER_04 14:30

Yeah. And said. What should you talk about, Willis?

SPEAKER_06 14:32

Yes, exactly. That's what he said.

SPEAKER_04 14:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 14:35

If I have just twelve ships, I solemnly swear I will be able to defend the sea and prepare myself for death to resist the enemy.

SPEAKER_04 14:44

And they had over five hundred.

SPEAKER_06 14:45

Yeah, give me twelve ships, I'll still kick the ass. That's what he was saying. Graciously, the gentleman of court agreed to let him go and face certain death just to save their Livia White Bastards.

SPEAKER_04 14:57

Yeah, oh go on then. Off you go.

SPEAKER_06 14:59

Yeah. So ye began to make plans.

SPEAKER_04 15:05

Yeah, well you need some, wouldn't you?

SPEAKER_06 15:06

This is where we cut to a montage.

SPEAKER_04 15:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 15:09

Isn't it of yeah lifting logs and things like that and doing all sorts of different sit-ups and stuff and the Japanese are there with their digital testing and all that sort of stuff and stuff and he's um and pulling a pig along behind him while he's trying to sprint and things like that. Chopping logs in the forest.

SPEAKER_04 15:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 15:29

Yeah. Right. Cut back out of that montage now, and we're back in, okay? Ye chose a strait in Myun Yang. The roaring strait, it's called.

SPEAKER_07 15:39

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_06 15:40

Because of its unusually strong current that would change direction every three hours.

SPEAKER_04 15:45

That's a weird current.

SPEAKER_06 15:47

Ye gambled the future of Korea on the Japanese not knowing this unique property.

SPEAKER_04 15:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 15:53

After he had had a bit of a rest, ye wheeled out the bait and chase routine again.

SPEAKER_04 15:58

Did he?

SPEAKER_06 15:59

With a couple of his faster ships who eventually ran into the full night of the Japanese Navy and then pursued them right into the mouth of the strait.

SPEAKER_04 16:09

Ooh.

SPEAKER_06 16:10

You jump four.

SPEAKER_04 16:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:13

Yi's tiny feet of twelve fellow missed them. It's a good word, isn't it? And began to cause havoc. Then the Japanese flagship was blown apart by friendly fire. So the Japanese were starting to shoot themselves at this point. Because they were logged in, they were jammed in. Some of the Japanese began to turn and retreat, but Yi's timing was perfect, and the currents switched. Washing the Japanese in the opposite direction than they wanted to go in. It was chaos. Chaos now.

SPEAKER_04 16:42

It sounds chaos. Sounds like the M25 on eight o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_06 16:46

It's a right ballyhoo. With the Japanese crammed into a narrow strait that began to smash into and mangle one another as Yi's men let forth what a hail of arrows. 133 ships chased down, the only twelve Korea still had afloat. But even with those odds, Yi had won another battle and was still to lose a single ship under his command.

SPEAKER_04 17:11

What about all the men on the ships? They must have slaughtered them or did they let them swim off.

SPEAKER_06 17:14

Well, I don't know now, it doesn't go into that kind of detail.

SPEAKER_04 17:17

Oh, fair enough.

SPEAKER_06 17:18

Some of them would have been killed, I should imagine. And I wouldn't have thought at this stage, you wouldn't have thought that every single person under Yi Sun Sim command survived, but certainly the ships did. How do you reckon old one Kion would have felt?

SPEAKER_04 17:33

I was thinking a bit of a fool.

SPEAKER_06 17:35

Yes, I think he would have done.

SPEAKER_04 17:37

Yeah, a bit inadequate.

SPEAKER_06 17:39

What's a good word, yes.

SPEAKER_04 17:40

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_06 17:42

I've been there.

SPEAKER_04 17:43

What inadequate?

SPEAKER_07 17:44

Oh sorry, I think it said Harrogate.

SPEAKER_04 17:47

Oh no, I just I said inadequate.

SPEAKER_06 17:49

Oh yes. Inadequate, where's that?

SPEAKER_04 17:52

Uh it's near Harrogate.

SPEAKER_06 17:54

Oh, is it? Okay. I've not been there. Word of this miraculous victory began to spread. The Chinese decided that the navy could work with a man like Yi Sun Sin.

SPEAKER_04 18:04

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 18:06

And do you know what?

SPEAKER_04 18:07

What?

SPEAKER_06 18:08

Ships and crews previously thought lost in battle and at one kyan started to reappear. And pledge allegiance to Yi. His small fleet of twelve was beginning to grow again.

SPEAKER_04 18:21

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 18:22

So all these ships they thought, oh, they've gone missing.

SPEAKER_04 18:27

They did a luggage, didn't they?

SPEAKER_06 18:28

Yeah. They thought, well, that's this pillock.

SPEAKER_04 18:30

So this, I'm out of here.

SPEAKER_06 18:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 18:33

And now they've got even the other fella back in, they're like, oh, I've punched my chances now.

unknown 18:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 18:37

Yeah, let's go and join in. It's like running across country when you were at school and you cut through and then you come at the button near the end and you saw that, yeah, come on then, let's do it.

SPEAKER_06 18:46

You used to do that. I never used to do that. I used to quite like running and all that sort of stuff. And then Neil, anyway, Neil.

SPEAKER_04 18:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:53

Hello, Neil.

SPEAKER_04 18:54

Hello, Stephen.

SPEAKER_06 18:57

Hideyyoshi only went and died.

SPEAKER_04 19:00

Well, that's a shame, eh?

SPEAKER_06 19:01

I know. What does he think he's doing? He's only halfway through.

SPEAKER_04 19:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 19:05

And with his death, went to Japan's well to continue their war in Korea.

SPEAKER_04 19:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 19:11

Senior Japanese diplomats offered a peace treaty after six years of invasion and seen hundreds of thousands of its citizens brutally massacred. Brutally mined.

SPEAKER_04 19:22

Yeah, brutally.

SPEAKER_06 19:24

The Koreans weren't in the mood to shake hands and pretend none of that happened.

SPEAKER_04 19:28

No. That's fair enough.

SPEAKER_06 19:31

So the Japanese were all like, tell you what, yeah, we we're retired.

SPEAKER_04 19:36

Yeah, we'll do them now. We'll give in. We don't give in, but should we just sort of leave it alone for a bit?

SPEAKER_06 19:40

Let's shake hands and walk away.

SPEAKER_04 19:42

And Korea's like, whoa, hold your horses here, mate.

SPEAKER_03 19:45

Hold your bloody horses.

SPEAKER_06 19:47

Don't think so, the Koreans were saying. Yeah. Instead, Yi and his new Chinese best buddies chased the Japanese down to one last stronghold, the port of Sun Chun.

SPEAKER_02 19:59

Sun Chun again.

SPEAKER_06 20:01

And blocked it off, with the Chinese army surrounding on land, and Yi, with Chinese vessels, cutting off escape across the water.

SPEAKER_04 20:12

Ooh, so they're boxed in. Probably.

SPEAKER_06 20:17

Smoke on the water. Yi received word that Japanese were planning one last fatal push to free their colleagues in Sun Chun. So under the moonlight of No Venice. Was it? Go on, give us that. Under the moon of love. That's very good. Thank you. Why did you pull that face when you were singing it?

SPEAKER_04 20:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 20:46

Do you have to do you sing it like you just did, or do you have to sing it like a cabra singer?

SPEAKER_04 20:58

Yeah, that's it. Yeah, and then when it's an instrumental bit, you have to do a bit of chat and say, thanks so much, ladies and gentlemen, for coming out. It's great to see you all. Just returned from my UK tour. It's cold outside, so I have a safe trip home and anyway.

SPEAKER_06 21:15

Ye received word that the Japanese were planning one last fatal push to free their colonies in Sun Chun.

SPEAKER_07 21:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 21:22

And so under the moonlight, under On November 15th, 1598, the Korean fleet, with some of the Chinese, slipped away, and sure enough, by 2 a.m. they spotted 500 warships at rest.

SPEAKER_07 21:41

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 21:42

Ye had 150 warships and the element of surprise. Who? Long range cannons, Neil.

SPEAKER_04 21:50

Long range cannons, they're the best ones.

SPEAKER_06 21:52

Long range cannons. They are the best ones. If you want to fire long range.

SPEAKER_04 21:55

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 21:57

Long range cannon fire broke out. Smashed into the unsuspecting Japanese who eventually gathered themselves and attacked head on. That's one way to wake up, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 22:08

Yeah, it is. Yeah, with a cannon in your lap.

unknown 22:11

Bang!

SPEAKER_04 22:13

What was that?

SPEAKER_06 22:14

The Chinese admiral was no veteran of naval battle, and he gave the order for his ships to sail out and meet the Japanese. But Yi couldn't believe what he was seeing. Soon the Chinese were surrounded with Japanese guns pumming them from all sides.

SPEAKER_04 22:35

I'm not going into that, thank you.

SPEAKER_06 22:37

Yi went against all his natural instincts and ordered a rescue with his own flagship plunging into the fight. Often Korean vessels were so close to the Japanese they could hurl burning bundles of sticks onto their decks. Those wooden ships.

SPEAKER_04 22:55

It wouldn't do much good nowadays, would it? No, it wouldn't do, no. It would just be like clang and fall in the water blah.

SPEAKER_06 23:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:01

They'd sort of be looking on the ship going okay, whatever.

SPEAKER_06 23:05

Look out, look out, Admiral, here comes HMS f off. Don't worry. You boy, throw those burning sticks over there. That was sort them out. Yes, it's of its time. It's of its time.

SPEAKER_04 23:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 23:22

In the white heat of battle, Yi spotted the Japanese flagship with three admirals on its deck. He drew back his bow and killed one of the three with an arrow through the brain.

SPEAKER_04 23:36

That's a good shot.

SPEAKER_06 23:38

There, shouted one of the admirals. It came from Ye.

SPEAKER_04 23:42

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 23:43

Must have recognised him.

SPEAKER_04 23:44

Yeah, they must have recognised him, or they could have been speaking old English.

SPEAKER_06 23:49

Oh what Ye and oh yeah, Ye oldy.

SPEAKER_04 23:53

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 23:53

Good one, yeah. Again, we should take these around universities and do a talk. That's not what he said at all. What he said was it came from Ye Oldy Bakery Shop.

SPEAKER_04 24:02

Yes. Mrs. Miggins.

SPEAKER_06 24:05

It came from Ye oldi Swingty Shoppy with an eel in it.

SPEAKER_04 24:09

That's it.

SPEAKER_06 24:10

An immediate order went out to chase down and kill Yi Song Sin.

SPEAKER_04 24:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 24:16

Get him! This time it was the Chinese admiral's turn to sail to the rescue with cannons blazing. They rescued him. Soon the Japanese were on board his flagship, and yes, hand to hand fighting, slicked the deck with blood and severed limbs. The Japanese were repelled.

SPEAKER_04 24:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 24:37

And by the breaking light of dawn it became apparent they had suffered badly. So was they right, really, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 24:48

Absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 24:49

Some tried to flee, but Yi would not let them go. He grabbed the hammer from his drummer and beat the rhythm of war himself upon the drum.

SPEAKER_04 24:58

Alright.

SPEAKER_06 24:59

A boom boom a boom body boom.

SPEAKER_04 25:02

Yeah, is that what it was?

SPEAKER_06 25:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:04

I've got more of a bumper bum buda bum buda bum buda bum buda that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_06 25:08

No, I think it was more a boom boom a bumperty boom.

SPEAKER_04 25:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 25:12

Encouraging his men on to give merciless, furious chase.

SPEAKER_04 25:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 25:17

The battle continued to rage as night passed into a full light of morning. The beat faltered and then raised again. The Koreans and Chinese pushed back the Japanese.

SPEAKER_04 25:28

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_06 25:28

Once again the Chinese admiral found himself surrounded only for the relentless determination and firepower of the Korean ships to come to his rescue.

SPEAKER_04 25:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 25:38

This was the last great battle of the war. By its end, three hundred of the original fleet of five hundred Japanese warships lay in a deep watery grave. What if they're all still there? What if you went snorking? Whatever this was, whether you'd better see them.

SPEAKER_04 25:56

Probably.

SPEAKER_06 25:57

Don't know. As the last few Japanese ships limped away into open water, the day was one. Taza! Hooray. The Chinese admiral called out to Yi and wanted to thank him for saving his life a second time. Yay! Yay! That's very good. That's almost like you put yourself there. So yeah, he wanted to call out to Yi and wanted to thank him for saving his life a second time, but was instead met by Yi's son dressed in his father's blood soaked uniform.

SPEAKER_03 26:28

Oh no.

SPEAKER_06 26:30

As the battle peaked to the uncompromising beat of the war drum, which we I think we've quite accurately bum. Yi had been caught by a Japanese bullet. He called to his son and told him that no man must know that he was mortally wounded until the battle was won.

SPEAKER_04 26:52

Alright.

SPEAKER_06 26:53

Yi's son took his father's uniform and put it on. Then, as Yi struggled to maintain the beat of his drum, he took up the hammer as his father slumped to the deck. The second daring rescue of the Chinese flagship was commanded by Yi's son and nephew, without anyone else being aware of their leader's peril. The Chinese admiral fell down in tears and said that even in death he saved my life. Yeah. Japan's last remaining garrison on Korean soil was abandoned or routed. We don't know. History doesn't recall whether they just left the water.

SPEAKER_04 27:31

Let's make a decision on it. Let's go abandoned.

SPEAKER_06 27:34

I'm going routed.

SPEAKER_04 27:35

Oh, okay. You would, wouldn't you?

SPEAKER_06 27:37

Okay. We could do a bander route. It was a bander route.

SPEAKER_04 27:40

Yeah, I'd do.

SPEAKER_06 27:42

The body of Yi Sun-sen was taken back to his home village, and tens of thousands of Koreans line the way to see the great man.

SPEAKER_04 27:50

Yeah, you would do, wouldn't you?

SPEAKER_06 27:52

Even the king and the Korean court. You'd like to think that they got the Koi's body and they were parade it at large. It went past the Korean court. Someone took his hand and extended the middle finger and just went like past the Korean court like that. Hideyoshi's dream of a Japanese empire across all East Asia lay in ruins, and Korea would remain free all thanks to Yi Sun-Sin, the man who fates tried to destroy came back stronger every time. He did, didn't he? Until he didn't.

SPEAKER_04 28:29

Until he didn't, until he got hit by a shot.

SPEAKER_06 28:32

But there you go. So in this country, we like to talk about uh our heroes, military heroes, Duke of Wellington, for example. Yeah. Or we could often talk about old uh Nelson's Colum.

SPEAKER_04 28:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 28:46

He was a great military leader. We're not going to take anything away from these military leaders because they wouldn't have to be a little bit more.

SPEAKER_04 28:50

No, let's not take it away from them because they've done their bits in in their own wars, didn't they? But this fellow sounds like a special chap.

SPEAKER_06 28:58

And Lord Admiral Sir Dame Horatio Nelson's Colum is a British hero.

SPEAKER_04 29:03

Yeah, he is.

SPEAKER_06 29:03

We're not going to demolish that, he isn't.

SPEAKER_04 29:05

No, definitely not. We should keep it. Salute you, sir. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 29:08

Yes, British hero and HMS victory and all that.

SPEAKER_04 29:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 29:13

But our friend here, Yi Sun Sin, wow, never lost a shit.

SPEAKER_04 29:18

No.

SPEAKER_06 29:18

Well, thank you, listener, for joining a second part of our story about Yi Sun Sin on.

SPEAKER_04 29:25

Honourable mentions.

SPEAKER_06 29:28

What a fellow he was.

SPEAKER_04 29:29

Yes. He was a very fellow.

SPEAKER_06 29:32

He was, yes. And if you feel like you now need to learn more about Korea and the Korean lifestyle and even Korean cuisine. Yes. I d I quite like a red curry or even a green curry. They're Thai, aren't they?

SPEAKER_04 29:46

I don't know, yes.

SPEAKER_06 29:48

Green Thai curry, please. Please, listener. If you'd like to uh send those on to us at honourable mentionspod at gmail.com. Um how you send a green curry over email, I don't know. That's for you to work out.

SPEAKER_04 30:03

Don't send it in an envelope either, because it'd be like a bit of a mess.

SPEAKER_06 30:06

That's your problem, listener. So yes, and you can also follow us on your social medias, can't you, Neil?

SPEAKER_04 30:11

Yes, they can follow us on our social medias, yes they can please.

SPEAKER_06 30:14

YouTube.

SPEAKER_04 30:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 30:17

Facebook.

SPEAKER_04 30:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 30:19

Instagram.

SPEAKER_04 30:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 30:20

Ticket to talk.

SPEAKER_04 30:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 30:23

Uh Reddit, we've got presents.

SPEAKER_04 30:26

Right.

SPEAKER_07 30:27

And that's about it.

SPEAKER_06 30:30

Yeah, we're not on X. We're not on Two Social or anything like that.

SPEAKER_04 30:34

Don't worry about that one, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 30:35

Don't look us up, listener. We very much love to hear from you. We love you, listener.

SPEAKER_04 30:39

Yes. In a in a special way, but not in a that sort of way, a special way.

SPEAKER_06 30:43

We're not saying we're a bunch of little podcast babies. But yes, please do like, share, subscribe, pass us on to your friends who may like to hear more. Honorable mentions. Shout it from the streets. What would you shout from the streets, please, Neil? Honourable mentions! Would you?

SPEAKER_04 30:58

Yeah, I would, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 30:59

Okay. Well, thank you, listener. Um, if you have a ancestor in your family, or a friend, or someone who lived down your street, lived in your town, went to your school, whatever it may be, who lived an extraordinary life that you think our listener would be interested in hearing, please do share with us that HonourableMentionsPod at gmail.com. And we will love to either have you on the episode as a guest when you would represent your story on your behalf if you're a bit shy and don't want to come on the hairwaves.

SPEAKER_04 31:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 31:40

And and have our listener listen. Then yeah, please do. So thank you very much. This is me with a rather emotional goodbye. And Neil with his I'm going for a poo. Okay. Well, thank you, listener. And whatever career is for by, we're saying.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

Bye. Honorable mentions. Listen up, fool. Quit your jibba jabba before I introduce you to my friend Payne. You've been listening to some other friends of mine, Steve and Neil at Honorable Mentions. You've got their eternal thanks to Mip T's big respect. Now you just need to follow Honorable Mentions on social media, and if you have a story you want the boys to feature, you can email my homies at honorable mentions pod at gmail.com and we can get to popping. Honorable mentions is an Uncover Brothers production and is researched by my favorite Stephen Webb. I pity that fool, and the theme tune is written and performed by Pepe and the bandits. Go and support them wherever you stream your music. One final word from me first name, Mr. Middle name, period, last name, T. You might not have the things you want, but if you check carefully, you got all you need.