- Baba Nobuharu
nihongo|Baba Nobuharu|馬場信春|extra= d. 1575, also known as Baba Nobufusa, was a
samurai ofJapan 'sSengoku period and one ofTakeda Shingen 's so-called "Twenty-Four Generals"; they were his most trusted commanders. Baba fought at the battles of Mikatagahara and Nagashino, where he led the vanguard ofTakeda Katsuyori 's right-wing.When Takeda Shingen took Fukashi castle (now
Matsumoto Castle ) in 1550, he entrusted it to Baba. At Mikatagahara in 1573, he led the vanguard in chasingTokugawa Ieyasu 's army back to their Hamamatsu fortress; upon seeing the gates open and braziers lit, Baba mistakenly suspected a trap, and did not press the fleeing army further. It was at Nagashino that Baba was killed, three years later, as two samurai attacked him simultaneously with their spears, taking off his head.The
Koyo Gunkan states that Shingen often consulted Nobuharu on important matters. Prior to Nagashino, Nobuharu was reputed to have fought in 21 battles without receiving a single wound.References
*Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.
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