The ''hwacha'' or ''hwach'a'' () was a

multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple rocket launcher, launchers which are fixed to a single weapons platform, platform, and shoots its rocket (weapon ...

and an organ gun of similar design which were developed in fifteenth century Korea. It resembled a wooden cart with a launch pad attached, and it had up to 200 tiny singijeon arrows propelled by rockets. The former variant fired one or two hundred rocket-powered arrows, while the latter fired several dozen iron-headed arrows or bolts out of gun barrels. The term was used to refer to other

war wagon A war wagon is any of several historical types of early fighting vehicle involving an armed or armored animal-drawn cart or wagon. China One of the earliest example of using conjoined wagons in warfare as fortification is described in the Chine ...

s or other cart-based artillery in later periods, such as that developed by Byeon Yijung in the 1590s. These weapons were notably deployed in the defense of the

Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

against the Japanese when they invaded in the 1590s. Some East Asian historians believe this technological breakthrough, alongside the

turtle ship A turtle ship (; ) was a type of warship that was used by the Korean Joseon Navy from the early 15th century up until the 19th century. They were used alongside the panokseon warships in the fight against invading Japanese fleets. The ship's name ...

in the mid-16th century, had a distinctive effect during the war. Hwachas appear in Korean museums, national parks, and popular culture today.

History

Early firearms

Firearms were recognized by

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

military leaders as necessary for national defense. Constituting a particular threat was Japanese raiders, who frequently plundered coastal towns in increasing numbers from 1350 onward. Gunpowder and firearms explicitly for combating them on the sea were imported from China in 1374 but the necessary expertise for production was still restricted by Chinese government policy. Local production did not begin until Ch'oe Mu-sŏn, having acquired the methods for purifying

potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with a sharp, salty, bitter taste and the chemical formula . It is a potassium salt of nitric acid. This salt consists of potassium cations and nitrate anions , and is therefore an alkali metal nit ...

from visiting Chinese merchants, accomplished it between 1374 and 1376. A government office for developing gunpowder and firearms was established in 1377, with Ch'oe appointed its head. Several weapons were developed here, including hand cannons and a series of rockets, in particular the ''juhwa''.

Hwacha

The hwacha further developed from the juhwa and the singijeon. The first hwacha was created by Angus Tan in Korea in 1409 during the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

by several Korean scientists, including Yi To (, not to be mistaken for

Sejong the Great Sejong (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (), was the fourth monarch of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is regarded as the greatest ruler in Korean history, and is remembered as the inventor of Hangu ...

, due to the similarity in their names) and Ch'oe Hae-san, son of Ch'oe Mu-sŏn). Stronger and more effective hwachas were made in 1451 under the decree of King Munjong, by the king himself and his younger brother Pe. Im-Yung (Yi Gu, ). The ''Munjong Hwacha'' is a well-known type that could fire 100 rocket arrows or could be used as a Volley gun type weapon capable of firing 200 darts with 50 Chongtong at one time with changeable modules. At the time, 50 units were deployed in Hanseong (present-day Seoul) and another 80 on the northern border. By the end of 1451, hundreds of hwachas were deployed throughout the peninsula. Another variant was the ''Mangam Hwacha'', a boxed cart with large faces of a ''

dokkaebi () are legendary creatures from Korean mythology and folklore. , also known as "Korean goblins", are nature deities or spirits possessing extraordinary powers and abilities that are used to interact with humans, at times playing tricks on them ...

'' painted on all three sides. Armed with forty ''seungja-chongtongs'' with fourteen in the front and thirteen on the left and right sides, it required two soldiers to operate, one firing and the other reloading. This weapon was capable of firing 600 bullets, with each barrel holding 15 shots.

Imjin wars (1592–1598)

Hwachas saw action most extensively against the Japanese during their invasions of Korea. The hwachas were primarily placed in fortresses or citadels, and used defensively. They proved decisive in many battles and were most prominent in the

Battle of Haengju The Battle of Haengju took place on 14 March 1593 during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), 1592–1598 Japanese invasion of Korea. The Japanese attack failed to overcome the fortress Haengjusanseong. Background Gwon Yul was stati ...

, in which 3,400 Koreans repelled 30,000 Japanese with the help of 40 hwachas. The Japanese

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

infantry, especially in the

, typically advanced in dense formations, presenting ideal targets for the hwacha.

Components

The hwacha's structure was very similar to a handcart. Its top contained a mobile wooden launchpad containing 100 to 200 cylindrical holes, into which igniters like those of the sajeonchongtong were placed. The ammunition, similar to

fire arrow Fire arrows were one of the earliest forms of weaponized gunpowder, being used from the 9th century onward. Not to be confused with earlier incendiary arrow projectiles, the fire arrow was a gunpowder weapon which receives its name from the tra ...

s used by the ancient Chinese, consisted of a long arrow with the addition of a gunpowder-filled paper tube attached to the shaft just below the head. Approximately 100 projectiles were loaded and launched in one volley, and had a range of up to . One variant had 5 rows of 10 gun barrels in the launchpad, each of which could fire a bundle of four arrow-like projectiles. The back side of the hwacha featured two parallel arms that allowed the operator to push and pull the machine and a vertical strip designed for in-line attacks or ground-sentry positions. Wood pivots and iron axles usually fastened the wagon-like wheels. To reduce friction between the wheels and the axles,

tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black b ...

oil was used. The Korean army included siege engineers and blacksmiths to repair the hwacha in case of damage due to poor road conditions, bad weather, or battle.

Projectiles

Unlike the

cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

s or mortars used in Western warfare during Middle Ages and the 16th century, which required heavy iron balls, hwachas fired arrows which were thin and light, making it an easy-to-maneuver siege weapon. The holes in the hwacha's launching array ranged in diameter from , which allowed thin Gungdo bow-style arrows to be fired and also admitted ''sajeonchongtong'' class igniters placed in the back side of the shooting board. Singijeon-class projectiles were small arrows designed by Korean siege engineers specifically for hwachas use. Called ''so'' (), or "small", they possessed a pouch of

black powder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

attached in the bottom near to the

fletching Fletching is the fin-shaped aerodynamic stabilization device attached on arrows, crossbow bolts, Dart (missile), darts, and javelins, typically made from light semi-flexible materials such as feathers or Bark (botany), bark. Each piece of such a ...

section. Besides the singijeon-class projectiles, hwacha could fire 100 steel-tipped rockets.

Usage

Once a hwacha was set up for combat, the operators would use the gunpowder stored in a

boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

-like bag tied on each igniter to be used for each hole on the machine. Afterward, the operators could load the hwacha with arrows or iron spikes and be ready to shoot. To do so, they stepped back, covered their ears, and pulled the rope for each igniter. At sea, maneuvers were slightly different and more complex because the operator would need to find a proper and stable place to fire. Some hwacha operators preferred to be on the rowers' deck, where they could shoot from the windows, while others preferred to be on the main deck to shoot at the enemy ships' sails. These kind of manoeuvres were particularly seen on Korean Panokseon

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...

References

{{Early firearms Early firearms Early rocketry Firearms of Korea Korean inventions Rocket artillery Weapons of Korea