Naval Battle of Dan-no-ura
Depiction of the battle from the 12th century
| date | April 25, 1185 |
|---|---|
| place | at Dan-no-ura on Shimonoseki Street |
| output | Decisive victory of the Minamoto |
| consequences | Final defeat of the Taira |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 850 ships | 500 ships |
The sea battle of Dan-no-ura ( Japanese 壇 ノ 浦 の 戦 い , Dan-no-ura no tatakai ) took place on April 25, 1185 in Shimonoseki Street near today's Kammon Bridge . It was the decisive battle of the Gempei War , the Minamoto forces defeated the Taira and secured their rule over Japan for the next 200 years.
In terms of numbers, the fleet led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune was clearly superior to the Taira who fled to Dan-no-Ura after the Battle of Yashima , but they had precise local knowledge and, due to their life on the inland sea, had extensive experience in naval warfare. The fleets fired at each other, the Taira managed to encircle the Minamoto. But a change of tide put the Minamoto in a position to switch to boarding and show off their numerical superiority.
The battle decided two other essential events. On the one hand, the ship on which Antoku , the six-year-old emperor appointed by Taira no Kiyomori, was, was threatened. Whose grandmother threw herself into the sea with the boy, both drowned. According to the myth, one of the three Japanese throne insignia , the sword Kusanagi , sank into the sea with Antoku . On the other hand, many Taira warriors chose death by seppuku or drowning when the luck of the battle turned. They had essentially fought a single long battle of retreat since 1181 and had their backs to the wall. The defeat in Dan-no-ura was the final, the ultimate defeat, a disgrace from which they tried to evade by suicide.
A dispute between Yoshitsune and General Kajiwara Kagetoki over command at Dan-no-ura is said to have been one of the causes of the rift between the Minamoto brothers, along with Yoritomo's obsession for recognition.
See also
literature
- Steve Turnbull: Samurai - The World of the Warrior . Osprey Publishing 2006, pp. 34–38 ( excerpt (Google) )