⑭ Admiral Yi's Turtle Ship Assault Commander: Yi Eon-ryang

Who Was Yi Eon-ryang?

Yi Eon-ryang (李彦良) had the courtesy name Chungmin (忠敏), and his father was Yi Su-bang (李秀芳), a gyosu, a local Confucian instructor. He passed the military examination in 1588 and began his career as a cheomjeong, a mid-ranking officer at the Hullyeonwon, the military training office.

When the Imjin War broke out, Yi Eon-ryang joined the staff of Admiral Yi Sun-sin — the commander who saved Joseon at sea during the war — as a military officer.

Turtle Ship Assault Commander

His name first appears in the report Admiral Yi sent to the court on the 29th day of the 4th month of 1592, before his first sortie.

"…As assault commander, the headquarters officer Yi Eon-ryang (李彦良)…" (Report to the throne, 29th day of the 4th month, 1592)

A month later, at the Battle of Sacheon on the 29th day of the 5th month, Yi Eon-ryang took a turtle ship into real combat for the first time. The turtle ships that the Joseon navy sent into battle for the first time were in the hands of Yi Eon-ryang and Yi Gi-nam.

And at the Battle of Busanpo on the 1st day of the 9th month, he was at the very front.

"…Turtle ship assault commander, the officer Yi Eon-ryang (李彦良)… together with other panokseon sank four large enemy vanguard ships…" (Report to the throne, 1st day of the 9th month, 1592)

At the Battle of Busanpo, where more Japanese ships were sunk than in any single battle up to that time, Yi Eon-ryang was at the very front, steering the most powerful weapon the Joseon navy had.

Staying by the Turtle Ship Through the Ceasefire

The next year, on the 18th day of the 2nd month of 1593, Yi Eon-ryang's name appears again at the Battle of Ungpo.

"Left Turtle Ship Assault Commander, the jubu Yi Eon-ryang (李彦良), and others pursued three enemy ships that had been driven into a corner." (Report to the throne, 18th day of the 2nd month, 1593)

After this Battle of Ungpo, the turtle ships no longer went into any major battle. With the ban on naval engagements, the building of Japanese castles, and the ceasefire talks that followed, the Joseon navy fought no major battles from 1593 to 1596.

Yet Yi Eon-ryang's name remains in the diary even in this quiet period.

"Yi Eon-ryang (the turtle ship commander) came bringing timber he had cut." (Nanjung Ilgi, 26th day of the 9th month, 1595)

"We made three windbreaks and hung them; Yi Eon-ryang (李彦良) and Kim Eung-gyeom (金應謙) supervised." (Nanjung Ilgi, 21st day of the 3rd month, 1596)

Through these years without battles, Yi Eon-ryang was still the gwiseon jang (龜船將) — the commander in charge of the turtle ship. When there was no fighting, he repaired ships and looked after the affairs of the camp, quietly keeping his place beside the turtle ship. It is said that he later served in turn as a jubu of the Hullyeonwon, magistrate of Chogye (草溪, today Chogye-myeon in Hapcheon County, South Gyeongsang Province), and buhogun, a military rank.

After this record of the 3rd month of 1596, Yi Eon-ryang's name does not appear in either the diary or the reports until the Battle of Noryang in 1598. In the meantime, the Joseon navy went through two great events. At the Battle of Chilcheollyang in the 7th month of 1597, all five turtle ships sank, and two months later, at the Battle of Myeongnyang, the navy fought without a single turtle ship, with thirteen panokseon. Personally, I guess at why Yi Eon-ryang left his name in neither battle this way: as we saw, he once served as magistrate of Chogye. Perhaps by this time he had already left the navy and was holding a land post such as magistrate of Chogye. That would naturally explain both how he escaped the disaster at Chilcheollyang, where the turtle ships went down, and why his name does not appear at Myeongnyang, where there were no turtle ships. But this is only my guess, not a confirmed fact.

The Last Sea: The Battle of Noryang

On the 19th day of the 11th month of 1598, Yi Eon-ryang fought in the Battle of Noryang, the last battle Admiral Yi went out to. Gwon Yul, the Commander-in-Chief of the army, reported the situation after Admiral Yi's death to the court like this:

"After Naval Commander Yi Sun-sin was killed, thanks to Son Mun-uk (孫文彧) and others handling things well as the moment required, the men fought a bloody battle at the risk of their lives. Mun-uk himself went up on deck, looked over the enemy's position, and directed and urged on the fight; that Admiral Chen escaped being overwhelmed was also the merit of our navy. The merit of U Chi-jeok (禹致績), Yi Seom (李暹), U Su (禹壽), Yu Hyeong (柳珩), and Yi Eon-ryang (李彦良) was outstanding, and the first merit went to the ship Yi Sun-sin had been aboard." (Annals of King Seonjo)

The "Yi Seom (李暹)" in this report is Yi Eon-ryang's son. Father and son went out together to Admiral Yi's last battle, and their names stand side by side in the same report sent up to the court.

According to tradition, Yi Eon-ryang was killed in this battle while trying to save Chen Lin, the Ming admiral. His son Yi Seom also fought in this battle. The two now lie side by side in Gyodong-ri, Samnam-myeon, Ulju County, Ulsan.

Merit Recognized Too Late

The merit of Yi Eon-ryang and his son was not recognized smoothly from the start. In the process of discussing rewards after the war, the Office of Military Merit submitted this memorial:

"Yi Gi-nam, Sin Yeo-ryang, Gu Deok-ryeong, Na Deok-sin, Yi Geuk-sin, Song Jeon, Yi Seom, Wi Dae-gi, Jo Hyo-nam, Seon Yeo-gyeong, and Yi Eon-ryang should be rewarded according to the existing precedent of Won Sin, so that no grievance arises from treatment that differs from before." (Annals of King Seonjo)

Only after several exchanges of orders between the Border Defense Council and the king were Yi Eon-ryang and his son properly rewarded according to the precedent of Won Sin. The historian who watched this debate criticized the reward system of the time like this:

"Merit has its order and its weight. … But in the actual process of rewarding, merit was judged arbitrarily according to personal ties, bribes, old connections, and private feelings. … There were cases in which civil officials took over the credit for wartime achievements, or even claimed merit by accusing and executing people. … Commanders who had won merit by arms were instead left out, while civil officials took the credit." (Annals of King Seonjo)

Even merit earned at the cost of their lives nearly came late, or was nearly buried, amid such disputes over fairness. Yi Eon-ryang was posthumously granted the rank of Tongjeong Daebu and the post of Hullyeonwon Jeong, was enrolled together with his son Yi Seom as a First-Class Meritorious Subject of the war (Seonmu Wonjong Gongsin), and is enshrined at Chungui-sa (忠義祠) in Ulsan, Gyeongsang Province.

Closing

Yi Eon-ryang was one of the very first turtle ship assault commanders. He fought at the front at Sacheon and Busanpo; through the three years of ceasefire, when the great battles had vanished, he kept his post as turtle ship assault commander; and at the last, at the Battle of Noryang, he died in battle together with Admiral Yi.

👉 Next post: ⑮ How Admiral Yi Changed People, and How He Trusted Them

— Momcheolhak