Kenshin Uesugi
This battle was fought in order to defend the province of North Shinano and Echigo from the great Takeda army. The 16,000 Takeda men were to go up against the18,000 Uesugi people. The Uesugi was camped at their main stronghold, the Kasugayama Castle, one of the five great mountain fortresses. While the Takeda were fixated at their home province, Kai. Kenshin left Kasugayama with 18,000 determined to take the very much respected warlord, Shingen Takeda by surprise. He passed through the Buddhist temple Zenkoji leaving 2,000 men to guard it. Leaving him with 16,000 determined Uesugi warriors.
He moved his Uesugi force up to the western mountains looking down upon Shingen's beloved Kaizu castle. Kenshin was cautious enough to leave the castle be at first for it's supremacy. Little did he know that the castle contained no more than 150 foot soldiers. A scout by the nearby small fortress named Tsutsujigasaki noticed the very dangerous movements Kenshin has been making. He quickly alarmed Shingen the up coming threat via signal fires. Quickly Shingen mustered up 16,000 warriors to confront the infamous Kenshin, alongside his brother Nobushige and a strategist with an unbreakable loyalty named Yamamoto Kansuke.
Shingen made his way to the North Shinano province only having one ideal in mind, and that is to defend his homeland, Kai. Going toward the north, Shingen gained an extra 4,000 units to his army, making it 20,000. The Uesugi army decided to camp their army by the Saijo mountain, in the cover of the fog and woods. After some time Shingen's 20,000 finally arrived at the named battlefield.The Takeda's front line was in the leadership of Nobushige Takeda, behind him were some generals of the famed and feared 24 generals of Shingen. The only things that are seperating the two armies are the Chikumagawa river and the wide plain of Hachimanbara. They both knew that whoever wins this very battle, wins the whole Shinano province.
The two rival warlords waited for someone to make a move. Not one of them wanted to make a single mistake, for a single mistake can cost them the whole battle. Shingen with Kansuke thought of an indigenous plan that they thought might just wipe off the Uesugi firce from the face of the Earth. They thought that they can lead a dispatch force alongside the mountain to attack the unsuspecting Uesugi from behind. This action will make the Uesugi retreat to the plain making them bait to the main army of the Takeda, crushing them in two sides. So, Kansuke ordered Kosaka Masanobu with fellow Takeda general Nobufusa Baba to lead an army containing 12,000 to the mountain in the cover of the night. Kenshin suspected as much, so he led his entire army to the Hachimanbara plain, quietly and carefully, they dashed past the 12,000 using bits of their own cloth as camouflage they also left right around 3,000 soldiers to defend the path they were going to take, in order to buy them time when the Nobufusa unit realizes the trick. By dawn, the 8,000 Takeda cavalry faced the 10,000 Uesugi warrior monks. Not fleeing afraid warrior monks, but ready to fight warrior monks.
The large Uesugi army caught the Takeda by surprise. The Takeda was now the bait to Shingen's very own plan. Kenshin did not make any hesitation, he swiftly charged his entire army toward the Takeda main force. In a very effective circle formation, where when a unit grows weakened, it flees while another unit takes it's place. The vanguards of both armies clashed, resulting in an unfortunate end for the life of Nobushige. Kenshin knew that he could not waste any more time, for the pincer movement unit will quickly realize it and come back.
Kenshin, all alone, pierced through the enemy lines. He quickly found himself in the Takeda main camp, where Shingen is sitting. Kenshin charged at Shingen with his sword ready to slash. The moment Kenshin attacked Shingen, the Takeda commander quickly parried Kenshin's sword with his signaling fan. That brought him enough time for one of his soldiers came ti drive Kenshin off the camp.
The Uesugi were having their own troubles. The main Takeda force held strong and would not just give up. Kansuke fought bravely in the midst of the battle, he charge all by himself deep into enemy lines costing him his death. The Takeda main force were falling one by one to the fierce attacks of the Uesugi army.
Kosaka and Nobufusa, finally reached their destination, only to be attacked by 3,000 Uesugi samurai. Kosaka was wondering if this puny force was the threat everyone was so worried about. They quickly knew what was going on, they made quick work of the 3,000 and ran towards the Hachimanbara plains. Kosaka knew it, by the time the stealth unit got back, the Uesugi were already fighting the Takeda. The 12,000 of Kosaka quickly attacked the Uesugi army from behind, causing Kenshin to flee. That marked the end of the battle.
It was a tactical win for the Uesugi and a strategical win for the Takeda. Shingen suffered around 4,200 losses and the Uesugi suffered around 3,500 losses. Yet, the Takeda lost much more men and Shingen's prized brother Nobushige, they did not back down. This made the two great clans to put their military at bay because of that bloody battle making the Oda the most powerful clan in all of Japan.
The battle could have been decisively won by the Takeda, if only they positioned their units in front of the river, and to not split their units in two. In short, they would have won if they attacked straight forwardly. They take pride in their great cavalry, the cavalry are rendered useless if slowed down. The battle could have also been a decisive Ueasugi victory, if only they took Kaizu castle in the first place. That would make the Takeda cavalry useless, for horses cannot climb walls. This battle still, did not settle the score for the both of them.
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