Way of the Sea
| Way of the Sea | |
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Contents
Description
The first step to mastery of naval warfare is to understand the sea and its moods. This alone makes the business of warfare easier, as fleets can move further when winds and tides are correctly used. Japanese naval battles closely resemble land battles fought on platforms lashed together, but naval commanders do recognise that ships can be manoeuvred to gain an advantage.
Japan's numerous rivers and surrounding seas (there are some benefits to being an island nation) provided many opportunities for fishing, travel and trade. This ease of movement also made Japan vulnerable to unwelcome visitors, including pirates, Mongols and European traders. The Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281 saw vast fleets sent against Japan, but the sea that brought the attackers also destroyed them: the kamikaze, or divine wind; destroyed the Mongol fleet in a terrible storm. It was the legend of the storm that, along with a debased form of bushido, inspired the Japanese navy to contemplate, train and then use suicide pilots in World War II. Many brave young men were sent to futile deaths in the last days of the war when it was quite clear that their sacrifice would be entirely pointless.
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