UPDATE ON : Early Japanese Cannon

[watsonmil]

Back on March 18, 2010 I wrote an article on a small Japanese Cannon I picked up many years ago at the Chicago Sword Show. I went on in the article to explain how these small cannon worked and how they were employed. I still stand by the information given, but would like to update this article with some additional information that I have gleaned from my continued studies and in particular information provided both on this forum and other forums. Two people immediately come to mind ... Piers and Eric T. as contributors.

Please refer to : viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7084&start=0

 

Cannons of this size were sometimes utilized as Bo-hiya Zutsu, a better word would be Hiya Taihau as Zutsu refers to a Matchlock mechanism while the words Hiya Taihau refers to cannon. Both the Bo-hiya zutsu and the Hiya Taihau were capable and often used to fire a rocket shaped projectile being in reality a fire arrow. Generally speaking guns of 50 monme to 100 monme ( 1 1/4 inch to 1 1/2 inch bore diameter ), both Zutsu and Taihau would be included here so long as they fall in this caliber range. The bo-hiya was strictly an offensive weapon, whereas my previous article ( link above ) deals with these small cannon used in both an offensive as well as fully capable in the defensive role.

 

In the 10th Century China, gunpowder was used to launch fire arrows and this type of fire arrow was used by the Mongolian Naval Vessels in the 13th Century against Japan. By the 1500's it is recorded that Japanese Pirates in particular were using bo-hiya. Also the bo-hiya became a standard weapon on Japanese Naval Vessels. During one battle it was said that bo-hiya " were falling like rain ".

 

I have also read that bo-hiya were used at the battle of Sekigahara around 1600 which was of course a land based battle or better put a Siege.

 

Now then the bo-hiya is a cylindrical piece of hardwood having 3 stabilizing fins of light iron and an iron tip. A portion of the base section of the cylindrical piece of wood fitted down the muzzle of the gun barrel up to the fins. Above this the wooden cylinder was wrapped in hemp or some other combustible material which having been soaked in pitch, bitumen, resin, or oil fat would burn fiercely. A few are reported to have been hollow cylinders of wood filled with black powder with a fuse attached. These would explode spreading the outer layers of the burning combustible material in all directions.

 

It is my understanding that there is an excellent display of bo-hiya and the weapons used to fire them at Kumamoto Castle in Japan.

 

Since original bo-hiya are very rare artifacts, I decided to see if I could make a reasonable facsimile. It was not as easy a project as I had first envisioned, but turned out quite well and will serve as an example ( copy ) until I'm fortunate enough to acquire an original.

 

Photographs attached. Additional information and other photographs may be found here : https://www.google.ca/search?q=bo-hiya& ... 36&bih=698

 

As always any errors or omissions are mine alone.

 

... Ron Watson

[Jamie]

Wow Ron, nice job building that!

Eric is awesome. We used to study together a bit.

[uwe]

Hi Ron,

found this at Matsumoto Castle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

Uwe

[Dr Fox]

From the images, would I be wrong in thinking, that the fuse was lit by the discharge of the cannon?

Seeing the touch hole, led me to suppose there is a flame channel up the arrow centre.

This would make some sense, as until the beast touched off the arrow would remain 'safe'

Conversely should the fuse be lit first, and the cannon failed to fire then hmm.

[uwe]

Denis, on the second and fourth pic you can see, that the fuse on the "arrow" was being lit separately!

 

Uwe

[watsonmil]

Dear Uwe,

I was possibly misinformed, ... I had been led to believe it was at Kumamoto Castle where the display of Bo-hiya and cannon were displayed, ... but you say Wakayama Castle. Does anyone know if there is a display at both castles or if not which one is correct.

 

Dear Denis,

With respect to when the fuse was lit on the exploding type bo-hiya, ... Uwe is absolutely correct. The fuse was lit just before firing the main charge in the gun. According to Ian V. Hogg, former instructor at the Royal School of Artillery, UK .... it was not until around 1740 that someone realized there was enough airspace around the shell to allow for the muzzle flash to ignite the fuse of a bursting shell. Prior to this someone had to reach down the bore with a lit match on a pole and light the fuse just prior to firing, .... or as previously and highly risky done was to load the shell with fuse down next to the main charge to be lit on firing the gun. Many premature detonations of the shell within the barrel had occurred with devastating results.

Credit for the above courtesy : The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ammunition ... author Ian V. Hogg, ISBN 89009 911 1 .

 

... Ron Watson

 

PS. Jamie, Uwe and Denis : Thank you for adding to this non-sword related thread. I realize the tunnel vision of most members on the NMB after all it is a Sword Forum, ... but never the less there is a whole world of related Art and Artifacts that are Samurai related. I do occasionally join in sword and/or kodogu related threads, but I find ALL Samurai Art/Artifacts of interest in understanding the history of Japan. I often wonder if I'm simply wasting both my time and the membership with my writing at all.

[Peter Bleed]

Ron,

Thank you very much for sharing your research/reconstructions and for starting an interesting thread.

Your work raises lots of questions. Let's start with chronology. How old are the tubes and systems you are studying? Are they all pre/early Edo era?

Peter

[Dr Fox]

Sorry Ron I am at odds here!

My suppose was in respect of the featured arrow, your reply seems to refer to the shrapnel shell, which was fully seated down on the charge inside the cannon.

 

Arrow outside? shell inside?

[watsonmil]

Dear Peter,

I edited my response to Jamie, Uwe and Denis just before you posted ... see PS. Thank you for your interest.

 

The introduction of the firearm into Japan occurred just prior to what we consider the Edo Period. From my studies Tokugawa Ieyasu made use of the bo-hiya at the battle of Sekigahara in 1600 ( I may be in error here as I cannot find the precise information in my library but I am almost positive I read this information in one of the historical discriptions of the arms and tactics used at the siege ). At any rate the bo-hiya certainly dates back to the early Edo Period. If someone else has the reference to the use of the bo-hiya at Sekigahara I would appreciate hearing from you. I do so much research in the field of the Tanegashima, ... I should mark down and record pertinent information instead of relying on memory.

 

NOTE: This post should be corrected in that the Battle of Sekigahara was NOT a siege as I stated above.

 

... Ron Watson

[watsonmil]

Dear Denis,

All drawings/woodblocks that I have seen show the fuse of the exploding bo-hiya or even the combustible material on non-exploding bo-hiya being lit post loading. Explaining the lighting of the fuse on an artillery shell ( first by reaching down the barrel, and much later by muzzle flash ( 1740 ) ) was simply an illustration that muzzle flash lighting was unknown in the 17th century up to the middle of the 18th century so that it is almost certain the time period when bo-hiya were employed, ... the muzzle flash method would have been unknown to the Japanese Gunners. Remember that during the War of 1812 ( between Canada and the USA ) that the shell loaded into the huge mortars of that period barely reached the muzzle of the mortar and hence the fuse was practically outside of the barrel proper.

 

... Ron Watson

[Dr Fox]

Ron

Editing this post, as your reply has now been posted, got your line of thought thanks.

 

Taken your points on nihonto only related items, I, and I am sure others are very interested in other arms.

And most certainly the posting, of your setting up for display, this valuable piece. The explanations of the workings of the cannon fascinating, and thanks for sharing, more please.

 

Would you offer, enlightenment as to your reference to Sekigahara as a siege,I have always understood this to have been a mobile conflict on many fronts.

 

Regards

[uwe]

Ron, you are not alone with your "Nihon to related interest" here

I'm an katchu- , for example :D

Cheers

Uwe

 

 

BTW: There were only two Bo-hiya for display at Matsumoto castle. So it seems, that you are right with Kumamoto!

[uwe]

Omg....made a mistake It was Matsumoto castle, not Wakayama

Will edit my posts, sry

[watsonmil]

Dear Denis,

I have always personally felt that the Winter Campaign at Osaka and Summer Campaign were a continuation of the Battle of Sekigahara. You are of course quite correct in correcting me that the actual battle known as the Battle of Sekigahara was a mobile battle and not a siege. I apologize. My personal thoughts should not have entered the thread. I was quite mistaken when I stated that the bo-hiya was used at Sekigahara.

... Ron Watson

[Brian]

I often wonder if I'm simply wasting both my time and the membership with my writing at all.

Not at all Ron. Many of us enjoy these posts, even if we don't always participate. Please keep them coming. Haven't heard from Piers in a while, hope he is ok.

 

Brian

[watsonmil]

Dear Brian,

I see Piers just did a translation on the NMB with respect to a signature on a Tanegashima. Piers has been I believe on a long European vacation. It is nice to see his Avatar again !

I was very pleased after my and during my " sour grapes " PS ... to find considerable interest in my thread. It was also good to be " corrected " as Denis pointed out to me that Sekigahara was NOT a siege. I of all people should know better than to screw up with misinformation.

 

... Ron Watson

[Dr Fox]

Dear Denis,

I have always personally felt that the Winter Campaign at Osaka and Summer Campaign were a continuation of the Battle of Sekigahara. You are of course quite correct in correcting me that the actual battle known as the Battle of Sekigahara was a mobile battle and not a siege. I apologize. My personal thoughts should not have entered the thread. I was quite mistaken when I stated that the bo-hiya was used at Sekigahara.

... Ron Watson

 

No Ron apologies not required. Nor was a correction intended. Many thanks.

[John A Stuart]

Although the Battle of Sekigahara and the Osaka Campaigns were Tokugawa v. Toyotomi with Toyotyomi forces at Sekigahara being lead by Ishida Mitsunari and Mori Terumoto against Tokugawa Ieyasu and Osaka being a siege against Toyotomi Hideyori and supporters by Tokugawa Ieyasu (although Hidetada was now shogun) the telling thing is that they were 14-15 years apart. There were intervening battles. Although Osaka is a renewed conflict between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa it can't be considered as a continuing battle from 14 years earlier with a peaceful interregnum. Just a FYI. John

[watsonmil]

Dear John,

Perhaps, ... but when I say a continuation of Sekigahara what I contend is that the Siege of Osaka was a continuation of Ieyasu's desire to once and for all consolidate total power under one family ... that being the Tokugawa. In a way it to me at least is not unlike the situation in Korea today. A war fought from 1950 - 1953 between North and South Korea to unify the country to pre WWII days. The Korean war ended 61 years ago with an armistice but the continuation of the Korean War is YET to be played out to see which will eventually rule ... North or South ... much akin to the Tokugawa - Toyotomi conflict and 14 years to 61 years is an even longer interlude of uneasy peace. Just my personal thoughts John, ... I am in no position to rewrite history and you of course are free to disagree.

 

... Ron Watson

[John A Stuart]

Hi Ron, And that Armistice Agreement ended March 13 2013. Nuts, they are actually at war and have declared nuclear strikes as possible outcomes. As to Tokugawa Ieyasu he was made Shogun by the Emperor, the titular ruler of the country as a whole, after Sekigahara and formed a Bakufu. The Toyotomi by decree, a Han, by their actions were in rebellion subsequently and were inciting civil war within a singular polity. Korea was/is two seperate countries at war. A war sometimes consists of many battles and battles are generally well defined in duration, area and force commitment. I get your point, the Toyotomi continued the war, the battles were intermittent. John

[estcrh]

Ron, your bo-hiya could pass for an original, nice work. There is not much information on this subject in English, it is possible that the bo-hiya was based on the Korean chongtong, a type of cannon arrow.

 

Here is a link to a Wikipedia article I created on the subject and a gallery of related images.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo-hiya

 

http://www.pinterest.com/samuraiantique ... le-cannon/

 

Here is a picture showing how bo-hiya eventually evolved into whaling harpoons in the 1800s.

 

 

Three sizes of Korean chongtong.

[watsonmil]

Dear Eric,

It is nice to see you on the NMB. I also appreciate seeing the photograph of the Chongtong. It was my understanding that the Fire arrow originated on the Asian mainland, .... but did not realize that the Japanese had made pretty much exact copies ( but for their size ) of the Korean examples. Many thanks for aiding in my studies. I am of course surmising that the Japanese were copying the exact design rather than the other way round. Do you by chance know the relative age of the pictured Korean examples ??

 

Regards, ... Ron Watson

[estcrh]

I am of course surmising that the Japanese were copying the exact design rather than the other way round. Do you by chance know the relative age of the pictured Korean examples ??

 

Regards, ... Ron Watson

Ron, I am assuming the same thing based on the fact that the Koreans were using actual rockets before the Japanese began using firearms. I have read that the Koreans used cannon to fire rockets at least by the 15th century, but I do not know what the age of the types I posted would be. One use mentioned of rockets in Korea was against pirates.

[Dr Fox]

Now Ron, look what you have started, brilliant.

 

I can bring this closer to today. WW Greener produced an adapted martini action shotgun, to fire a harpoon with a line attached. The Royal Navy also uses an adapted firearm, to pass a line from ship to ship at sea.

 

It certainly bears out the premise that, an idea if well thought out, is still a good idea for ever.

[Bugyotsuji]

Apologies for my late contribution to Ron's really fascinating article(s) and thread.

 

There is a Bo-hiya (the remains of a shaft and head) that was dug up in 2003 out of an Edo Period firing range in Okayama City. It has been on display in the Castle there and I have an article in Japanese about it back in Japan. ousar.lib.okayama-u.ac.jp/file/43548/arccr_030.pdf

 

Apart from that one, obviously genuine, I have seen and handled three or four of them, all slightly different in design and methodology, but as with your excellent effort illustrated above, they tend to be later recreations from the literature.

 

As for fire lances and fire arrows, endless varieties have been hurled by one or other method of ejection since Roman times and ancient China. Gunpowder was surely just another method of propulsion within that evolution.

 

Bo-hiya in Japan were lit by their own gun's explosive gases, I was told over there, but from what time onwards I am unsure. It would be good to find some definitive source material. Which usage came first, Japan or Korea, is like the chicken and egg question to me.

 

In popular thought they were effective against a castle roof, and the Osaka summer and winter campaigns fit that profile perfectly. This may explain why castles suddenly lost their efficacy/usefulness, not simply because of destructive cannonball against stone wall, but more probably heavy iron-tipped bohiya flaming rocket onto tiles.

[Bugyotsuji]

Some more images

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=%E6%A ... 31&bih=399

[watsonmil]

Dear Piers,

It was good to see your reappearance yesterday. I understand you've been on vacation.

 

Now then to the statement you make : " Bo-hiya in Japan were lit by their own gun's explosive gases, I was told over there, but from what time onwards I am unsure. " I must from my studies challenge that statement. Firstly if we go to the link : https://www.google.ca/search?q=bo-hiya& ... 36&bih=698 Please view the first photograph top left and also staying on the left move to the fourth photograph down EDIT ... see: PS at bottom of this response. In both cases you will see in the artists woodblock print that in each case the bo-hiya that is about to be fired is of the exploding variety and that the FUSE APPEARS TO BE LIT before firing. The artist has not shown the flammable material surrounding the bo-hiya set on fire ( artists license ) as he could not show both the fuse and the flammable covering on the shaft ablaze and still show the fuse already alight. The only other explanation is that this bo-hiya is in reality a shrapnel shell and not meant to start fires, but the main point is this : The fuse is already alight before firing the gun ! Who knows, as we both well know the Japanese took a good deal of artistic license in their interpretation of practically ANY subject.

 

Next, ... if we now think about a regular bo-hiya which was meant ONLY to start fires, ... they were soaked in Pitch, Bitumen, Resin, or Oil Fat .... sorry no Napalm or Gasoline in Edo Japan. All of the flammables known at the time being the four that I have listed are SLOW to ignite but once lit ... given a few moments will burn quite fiercely and persistently. The key here is SLOW to ignite .... much too slow for the sudden muzzle flash to ignite before the bo-hiya is well on its way. Therefore reason dictates that they MUST have been lit before firing.

 

Lets come back to fuses lit by muzzle flash here for a few moments. Once the Europeans found that a fuse could be lit by muzzle flash, ... it took a very long time of experimentation to come up with a reliable fuse which would ignite definitively each time ... and this was post 1740 !

 

No Piers, ... like so much of what the Japanese know about their own firearms, ... I would take it for what it truly is .... talk and conjecture and not based on scientific principals nor common reason.

 

... Ron Watson

 

PS. For whatever reason the photos in the LINK are moved around from when I first pointed out the second example. It is best to look for a woodblock print with the lone gunner wearing a bright RED breast covering now on the right side of the link but about 3 or 4 photos down. https://www.google.ca/search?q=bo-hiya& ... 36&bih=698

[John A Stuart]

Good question. For an incendiary accelerant soaked projectile why a fuse at all? If the leading edge was lit would that not be sufficient? Those with a fuse seem to be exploding powder filled types don't they? Wrapped in soaked rags as like the others and still incendiary in effect. I saw a program detailing Chinese rocket launchers similar to Hedgehogs that were fired and detonated with fuses, I believe simulating 16th century weapons used on the battlefield. Different kettle of fish, since they were rockets in tubes and velocity was achieved by the escape of gases rearward as opposed to explosive gases propelling them in one flash bang like cannon. I think these were shock and awe whereas the bohiya were destructive, fire being a formidable weapon. John

[watsonmil]

Dear John,

See my opening thread, ... wherein I state : Note the last sentence.

Now then the bo-hiya is a cylindrical piece of hardwood having 3 stabilizing fins of light iron and an iron tip. A portion of the base section of the cylindrical piece of wood fitted down the muzzle of the gun barrel up to the fins. Above this the wooden cylinder was wrapped in hemp or some other combustible material which having been soaked in pitch, bitumen, resin, or oil fat would burn fiercely. A few are reported to have been hollow cylinders of wood filled with black powder with a fuse attached. These would explode spreading the outer layers of the burning combustible material in all directions.

 

Thank you for your interest. There is no doubt but at the time these must certainly have been an awe inspiring and needless to say frightening weapon. Fire is still a formidable opponent.

 

... Ron Watson

[watsonmil]

Dear Denis,

Yes, as you say : " an idea if well thought out, is still a good idea for ever. "

 

I once owned a complete Schermuly Line throwing kit, ... absolutely mint condition. See : https://www.google.ca/search?q=Schermul ... 36&bih=698

 

... Ron Watson