Sieges of Nagashima - First Siege of Nagashima (1571)

First Siege of Nagashima (1571)

Nobunaga's troops made camp at Tsushima, to the northeast of Nagashima, on 16 May 1571. Separated from the Ikki's fortresses by a shallow but broad river, Nobunaga's commanders, Sakuma Nobumori and Shibata Katsuie, planned their attack upon the nearby wajū, small island communities from which attacks on Ganshōji could be launched. These islands were defended from flooding by a complex series of dikes.

Nobunaga's forces attacked across the river, but their horses became stuck in the soft mud of the river bottom. The samurai that managed to drag themselves to shore while being fired on were further slowed by ropes stretched across stakes, which tripped up their horses further. Many were then drowned when the defenders opened a dike and flooded the area. Katsuie was injured, and many samurai were lost; this first attempt was a definite failure for Nobunaga. His men did manage to set a few villages aflame, however, as they withdrew.