Then three Portuguese merchants threw a storm on the shore of the island of Tangegashima, and this seemingly insignificant event was for all of Japan a true gift of fate. The Japanese were amazed at the very appearance of “long-nosed barbarians”, their clothes and speech, and what they were holding in their hands - “something long, with a hole in the middle and an ingenious device closer to the tree, which they rested on the shoulder ... then fire flew out of it , there was a deafening thunder and a lead ball thirty feet away killed a bird! "
Daime of the Tanegashima Totikata Islands, having paid a lot of money, bought two teppos, as the Japanese called this strange weapon, and gave it to its blacksmith to make an analogue no worse. Since the Portuguese were shooting from “this” without a stand, it should be assumed that it was not the heavy musket that fell into the hands of the Japanese, but a relatively light arquebus, the dimensions and weight of which allowed shooting from the hands. However, to make an analogue at first did not work. The Japanese blacksmith was able to forge the barrel without much difficulty, but he found himself unable to cut the internal threads in the back of the barrel and insert the “plug” into it. However, a few months later, another Portuguese got to the island, and here it is, as the legend tells, and showed the Japanese masters how to do it. It was not difficult to make all the other details. So very soon on the island of Tanegashima was the beginning of the production of the first stories Japan firearms. Moreover, from the very beginning, the production of "tanegashima" (the Japanese began to call it that way), went at an accelerated pace. For six months, 600 Arquebuses was made on the island, which Totikata immediately sold out. As a result, not only enriched himself, but also contributed to its widespread distribution.
Modern Japanese "musketeers" - participants of demonstrations with shooting.
And this is the real “Tanegashima” of the Edo era from the Tokaido Museum, in Hakon.
Already in 1549, daimyo Shimazu Takahisa applied tanegasimu in battle, and then every year its popularity grew more and more. Takeda Shingen, for example, already in 1555 year, paying tribute to these weapons, bought at least 300 such arquebuses, and already Oda Nobunaga (this one loved everything European, starting with wine and ending with furniture!) 20 years later had 3000 arrows at his disposal in the battle of Nagashino. Moreover, he used them very modernly, having built in three lines so that they fired over each other’s heads, and from the attacks of Katsuri's cavalry they would be covered by a lattice fence.
Japanese teppo from the museum in the castle of Kumamoto. In the foreground is the “handgun” of kakae-zutsu.
The same museum, the same arquebus, but only the rear view. The device of their wick locks is clearly visible.
Moreover, it should be noted that, although for some reason it is considered otherwise, in fact, samurai in the era of Sengoku did not disdain to use teppo at all and use it personally. What, they say, is “mean” and not a proper samurai weapon. On the contrary, they very quickly appreciated its advantages and many of them, including the same Oda Nabunaga, turned into apt shooters. Continuous wars of all against all at just this time caused a truly mass production of this type of weapon, but the fact that it began to fall even into the hands of the peasants, they, of course, did not like. And very soon the number of arquebuses in Japan exceeded their number in Europe, which, by the way, was one of the reasons why not the Spaniards or the Portuguese did not even try to conquer it and turn it into their colony. Moreover, the Japanese in the manufacture of their teppo have achieved real craftsmanship, as evidenced by the samples of these weapons that have come down to us and are kept in museums today.
Tanegashima and pistora. Museum of Asian Art, San Francisco.
Note that the word “teppo” in Japan denoted a whole class of weapons, but at first it was the arquebuss that was made according to the Portuguese model, although this name is also known as Hinava-ju or “matchball gun”. But over time, the Japanese masters began to make their own powder guns, no longer similar to the original samples, that is, they developed their own style and traditions of its production.
Samurai Niiro Tdamoto with teppo in hand. Uki-yo Utagawa Yoshiyku.
So what is the difference between the Japanese and European arquebuses? Let's start with the fact that they have the opposite arrangement of serpentine (cock) with Hibasa wicks. The Europeans, he was in front and reclined "to himself." The Japanese - he was attached to the breech and bent back "away from himself." In addition, it seemed to them, not without reason, that the burning wick, located at a close distance from the shelf with a seed powder, called hidzara, is not the best neighborhood, and they came up with a shifting hibut cover that securely closed this shelf. The lid moved and only after that it was necessary to press the trigger to make a shot. The length of the trunk of Japanese arquebuses was approximately 90 cm, but the calibers varied - from 13 to 20 mm. The bed was made of red oak wood, almost the entire length of the trunk, which was fixed in it with traditional bamboo pins, as well as the blades of Japanese swords, fastened to the handle in the same way. By the way, the locks of Japanese guns were also fastened on pins. The Japanese did not like screws, unlike the Europeans. The ramrod is a simple wooden (caruka) or bamboo (seseri), recessed into the box. In this case, the feature of the Japanese gun was ... the absence of the butt as such! Instead, there was a pistol grip daijiri, which was pressed to the cheek before the shot! That is, the recoil was perceived on the barrel and then on the arm, went down and moved back, but the gun did not give to the shoulder. That is why, by the way, the Japanese loved so much faceted - six and octahedral trunks. They were both stronger and heavier and ... better extinguished recoil due to their mass! In addition, their face was convenient to make out. Although, we will note this, the special decoration of the Japanese teppo trunks did not differ. Usually they were represented by monks - the emblems of the clan who ordered the weapon were covered with gold or varnish.
Bajo-zutsu is a rider's pistol, and richly trimmed. Edo Epoch. Anne and Gabriel Barbier-Muller Museum, Texas.
The Tandzutsu is an Edo-era short pistol. Anne and Gabriel Barbier-Muller Museum, Texas.
Details of the locks, including the springs, were made of brass. It did not corrode like iron (and in the Japanese climate it is very important!), But most importantly, it allowed all parts to be cast. That is, the production of locks was fast and efficient. Moreover, even brass springs proved to be more profitable than European steel ones. Than? Yes, the fact that they were weaker !!! And it turned out that the Japanese serpentine with a wick approached the seed slower than the European one, and he happened to hit the regiment with such force that ... it went out at the moment of impact, without even having time to set fire to the powder, which caused a misfire!
For sniper shooting, the Japanese made such long-barreled shotguns with barrels 1,80 mm long and even 2 meters. The Nagoya Castle Museum.
The Japanese arquebuses had sights, a saki-me-ate front sight and ato-me-ate rear sight, and ... the original, again varnished, boxes covering the lock from rain and snow.
Niiro Tadamoto with cocoa jutsu. Uki-yo Utagawa Yoshiyku.
Hitting a cocoa-zutsu explosive projectile in a tate shield. Uki-ё Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
As a result, the Japanese arquebuses became more massive than the European ones, although they still remained lighter than muskets. In addition, the Japanese invented the so-called "hand guns" or kakae-jutsu, somewhat similar to European hand-guns for firing hand grenades, used since the 16th century. But although their similarity undoubtedly, the Japanese design is very different from the European, and is an independent invention. The European mortar always had a butt and behind it a short barrel, designed for throwing wick garnets. The Japanese jutsu did not have a butt, but they shot from it clay baked balls and lead cores. The barrel was long enough, but the powder charge is small. Thanks to this, it was possible to shoot from the “hand-held cannon” really, holding it in my hands. The payoff, of course, was great. The “gun” could have been pulled out of the hands, and if the shooter held it tight, then it could not be knocked over by the ground. And, nevertheless, it was possible to shoot in such a manner from it. Although another method was used: the shooter laid out on the ground a pyramid of three bundles of rice straw and laid a “cannon” on it, pressing the handle into the ground or another sheaf, padded behind with two stakes. Having set the desired angle of inclination of the barrel, the shooter pulled the trigger and made a shot. The bullet flew along a steep trajectory, which allowed us to fire at enemies in such a way as they took refuge behind the walls of the castle. It happened that gunpowder rockets were inserted into the barrel of kakae-zutsu and thus much increased the firing range.
Guns from the arsenal of Himeji Castle.
Known were the Japanese and pistols, called them a pistol. Yes, they were wicked, but were used by samurai riders in the same way as European reiters. They were heading in the direction of the enemy, and, approaching him, they almost fired a shot, and then returned back, reloading their weapons on the move.
Asigaru, hiding behind tate shields, fire on the enemy. Illustration from Dzhohyo Monogatari. National Museum, Tokyo.
Another very important invention that increased the rate of fire of Japanese weapons was the invention of wooden cartridges of a special design. It is known that at first the powder was poured from the powder flask into the same arquebus, after which a bullet was pushed towards it with a ramrod. In Russia, the archers kept pre-measured powder charges in wooden "cartridges" - "charge". It’s difficult to say where they came before - here or in Europe, but they appeared and immediately loaded food and the muskets became more convenient. But the bullet still had to get out of the bag. The solution to the problem was a paper cartridge, in which both the bullet and gunpowder were in the same paper wrapper. Now the soldier bit his teeth into the shell of such a cartridge (hence the command “bitten the cartridge!”), Poured some powder on the seed shelf, and the rest of the powder together with the bullet poured into the barrel and there tamped with a ramrod, using the paper itself as a wad. cartridge.
The Japanese invented a “charge” with two (!) Holes and a conical channel inside. At the same time, one of them was closed by a spring-loaded lid, while the other hole was a “plug” served by the bullet itself!
"Varnished boxes against the rain." Engraving Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
Well, now let's imagine that we are “Japanese Musketeers” and we have to fire at the enemy.
So, standing on one knee, at the command of the co-Gasir (“junior lieutenant”), we retrieve our wooden cartridge from the cartridge bag, open it, and pour all the powder into the barrel. And on the bullet protruding from it, you just need to press a finger, and it instantly slips into the barrel. We remove the cartridge and tamp down the powder and the bullet with a ramrod. Remove the cleaning rod and recline the powder shelf. A smaller powder is poured onto a shelf of a separate powder flask. We close the cover of the shelf, and blow off the extra powder from the shelf so that it does not flare up before the appointed time. Now fan the flame on the tip of the wick wrapped around the left hand. The wick itself is made of cedar bark fibers, therefore it smolders well and does not go out. Now the wick is inserted into the serpentine. Co-gashiru commands the first aiming. Then the shelf lid tilts back. Now you can make a final aim, and pull the trigger. The burning fuse will gently press against the powder on the shelf and a shot will occur!
The armor of the warrior ashigaru works of the American reenactor Matt Poitras, already familiar to VO readers in his armor of the soldiers of the Trojan War, as well as the Greeks and Romans.
Interestingly, the Japanese knew the bayonet-type blade bayonet - juken and lance-shaped jyuso bayonet, as well as shotguns and pistols with wheel and flint locks. They knew, but since they entered the era of the Edo world, they did not feel any need for them. But now, in peacetime, it was the sword that became the main weapon of the samurai, and the guns with which the peasants could successfully fight were also relegated to the background. However, it happened, we emphasize, this is already in the Edo era!