NAGASHINO 29 JUNE 1575
In 1573, while laying siege to Tokugawa's fortress at Noda, Shingen was shot
by a sniper when he moved his position forward to listen to a defender play
his flute. A few days later, because of complications, he would die. He made
his vassals promise to keep his death a secret for two years. It was not until
April of 1575 that his death was made known to the public. For his son, Katsuyori,
his father's funeral not only put closure on the secret, but also his appointment
as the next leader of the Takeda.
Shortly after Katsuyori's appointment, Tokugawa Ieyasu challenged him by making
one of Takeda's former allies, Okudaira Sadamasa,commander of Nagashino Castle.
Nagashino had strategic importance. It guarded the entrance to Mikawa and Totomi.
The castle, situated where the Takigawa, Onogawa, and Toyokawa rivers met, was
a strong defensive position.
In 1575 Oga Yasahiro, a financial official to the Tokugawa, turned traitor and
offered to open Ozaki Castle to a Takeda advance. Ozaki, the capital of Mikawa,
was important to the Tokugawa. Its capture would assure the downfall of the
clan, and for this reason Ieyasu had appointed his son, Nobuyasu, to command
it. Meanwhile in Kai, Katsuyori decided to take Oga up on his offer. He set
out of his capital at the head of 15,000 men, headed for Okazaki. While en route,
he found that Oga's scheme had been discovered. If Katsuyori withdrew now he
would lose face. Nagashino Castle was in range of his army. Against his vassals'
arguments, he marched his army to take possession of it.
Nagashino was commanded by Okudaira, who had 500 men. He was determined to get
back at Katsuyori for the execution of his wife and brother. He and his troops
put up a great defense, which the Takeda could not penetrate. Katsuyori decided
to avoid any further assaults.
Palisades were placed and the rivers blocked by ropes, then the Takeda sat back
for a long siege.
A defender in the garrison, Torii Suneemon, volunteered to take a message to
Ieyasu. At midnight on June 22, he slipped out of the castle, swam the river,
and made his way past the siege lines. He then proceeded to Ieyasu. When Nobunaga
and Ieyasu heard the news they immediately acted. They knew the castle could
hold out for only five days at most. The next day they marched out of Okazaki
with 32,000 men. Meanwhile, Torii had decided to go back to the castle and tell
them the news. However, a trap awaited him. He was caught and strung up on a
cross, and told to tell the garrison that all hope was gone; the penalty for
not doing so would be death. Instead he called out to the garrison to hold their
ground; help was on the way. He was quickly silenced.
Katsuyori held a council of war with his top generals. They urged him to withdraw,
but he would not. Then they argued for a fierce assault on the castle in order
to take it and prepare it for siege, again, Katsuyori refused. Like Ieyasu at
Mikata, Katsuyori was determined to fight them in the open, where the mighty
Takeda cavalry could be best used to destroy the enemy.
The Oda allied army arrived on the June 21. That night Sakai Tadatsugu led 3,000
men on a raid of the Takeda camp, managing to kill Katsuyori's uncle, Nobuzane.
Meanwhile, Oda had his men prepare positions for the coming battle. He knew
the strength of the Takeda was their cavalry. He would render them useless by
a palisade stretched along the Rengogawa, while the rest of the army defended
high ground behind it.
The morning of the battle, Oda made final preparations of his line. He placed
4,000 under Oda Nobutada about a mile to the rear, while 3,000 maintained pressure
on the Takeda siege force. Okubo Tadayo was placed with his troops out in front
of the line as bait, along with detachments of Sakuma Nobumori. The rest of
the troops positioned behind the Rengogawa around Danjohyama. For the first
time, Nobunaga was entrusting victory to his Ashigaru, his foot soldiers,with
a front line position. He detached 3,000 arquebusiers under Honda Tadakatsu,
Maeda Toshiie, and Sase Narimasa, placing them behind the palisade. They had
orders to fire at short range, and to shoot the horses first.
Katsuyori was busy arranging his forces. Maintaining the siege was 2,300 troops.
The rest, some 12,700 men, took positions in three divisions on high ground
opposite Danjohyama; 3,000 under Baba Nobuharu, 3,500 under Naito Masatoyo,
and 3,700 under Yamagata Masakage. The rest positioned in the center with Katsuyori.
At 5:00 A.M. the Takeda trumpets sounded. Katsuyori sent in the first wave of
men into the attack. The battle of Nagashino had begun.
The Takeda cavalry charged down the hillside and up the fields towards the Rengogawa,
which slowed their momentum. Picking up speed again, the cavalry continued.
At 50 meters from the palisade a volley blasted their ranks, but they continued.
Then a second and third volley tore into them, killing many and disordering
the advance. The Oda allied forces fell upon them. On the left flank, Yamagata
was lured into attacking Okubo, preventing him from supporting the center. On
the right, Baba too, was lured into attacking the Sakuma, preventing him from
supporting the center. Sakuma's troops faked a retreat, allowing Baba's men
to get into volley range; they were shot up. Shibata and Hideyoshi fell upon
them, driving them back. Katsuyori ordered in all his reserves; again they were
shot up, then cut up by the Oda. Back in Nagashino, Okudaira led a sortie out
of the castle, hitting the Takeda in the rear. By 12 noon the battle was over.
A tremendous price had been paid for Katsuyori's refusal to withdraw. About
10,000 of his clansmen were killed. Out of 97 Samurai leaders, 54 were killed,
including seven of Shingen's original 24 generals; Baba Nobuharu, Hara Masatane,
Sanada Nobutsuna and his brother Masateru, Yamagata Masakage, Saigusa Moritomo,
Tsuchiya Masatsugu, and Naito Masatoyo. Obata Masamori would die later from
a wound received. The Oda allied side lost 6,000 men. The battle had been decisive.
From now on the Takeda would only be a shadow of its former self. Eventually
the clan would be destroyed in 1582.