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Battle of Dan-no-ura
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{{Infobox Military Conflict
|conflict=Battle of Dan-no-ura
|partof=the
Genpei War
|image=
Image:DanNoUra.jpg 300px
|caption=Painting, 12th c.
|date=
April 25,
1185
|place=
Dan-no-ura,
Shimonoseki Strait
|casus=
|territory=
Minamoto gain command of
Japan
|result=Decisive
Minamoto victory
|combatant1=
Minamoto clan
|combatant2=
Taira clan
|commander1=
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
|commander2=
Taira no Munemori
|strength1=850 ships
|strength2=500 ships
|casualties1=
|casualties2=
}}
{{Campaignbox Genpei War}}
The '''{{nihongo|battle of Dan-no-ura|壇�浦�戦�|Dan-no-ura no tatakai}}''' was a major sea battle of the
Genpei War, occurring at
Dan-no-ura, in the
Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of
Honshu Honshū. On
April 25 1185, the Genji (
Minamoto) clan fleet, led by
Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike (
Taira) clan fleet, during a half-day engagement.
The Taira were outnumbered, but some sources say that they had the advantage over the Minamoto in understanding the tides of that particular area, as well as naval combat tactics in general. The Taira split their fleet into three squadrons, while their enemy arrived en masse, their ships abreast, and archers ready. The beginning of the battle consisted mainly of a long-range archery exchange, before the Taira took the initiative, using the tides to help them try to surround the enemy ships. They engaged the Minamoto, and the archery gave way to hand-to-hand combat with swords and daggers. However, the tide changed, and the advantage was given back to the Minamoto.
One of the crucial factors that allowed the Minamoto to win the battle was that a Taira general by the name of
Taguchi Shigeyoshi defected, and revealed to the Minamoto which ship the six-year-old
Emperor of Japan Emperor Emperor Antoku Antoku was on. Their archers turned their attention to the helmsmen and rowers of the Emperor's ship, as well as the rest of their enemy's fleet, sending their ships out of control. Many of the Taira warriors, seeing the battle turn against them, threw themselves overboard, committing suicide rather than facing defeat at the hands of the Minamoto. Among those killed this way were Antoku and his grandmother, the widow of
Taira no Kiyomori, head of the clan. To this day, the
heikegani Heike Crabs found in the Straits of
Shimonoseki are considered by the
Japanese people Japanese to hold the spirits of the Taira warriors.
This decisive battle meant the end of the Taira bid for control of
Japan.
Minamoto Yoritomo, the elder half-brother of
Minamoto Yoshitsune, became the first
Shogun, establishing his military government (
Kamakura shogunate 'bakufu') in
Kamakura.
References
* Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.
Category:1185
Category:Battles of Japan Dannoura 1185
Category:Genpei War
Category:Naval battles Dan no Ura 1185
de:Seeschlacht von Dan-no-ura
fr:Bataille de Dan-no-ura
ja:壇ノ浦�戦�
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