How Japan defeated Russia at the Battle of Tsushima

After the fleet left the port of Libau in October 1904, it sailed more than 29,000 kilometres across multiple oceans under constant strain.

The Second Pacific Squadron, which was led by Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky, consisted of eight battleships, nine cruisers, eleven destroyers, and a mix of support ships, which included ageing coastal defence vessels and transports that had been refitted quickly.

Several of these warships were either obsolete or underpowered compared to the Japanese fleet, which would have limited their ability in battle.

Initially, the Russians had hoped to reinforce their squadrons at Port Arthur, which were under pressure from Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō’s blockade.

However, by the time Rozhestvensky rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached the Indian Ocean, Port Arthur had already fallen on 2 January 1905 after a long and costly siege.

The fleet then redirected its course toward Vladivostok, the only Russian-controlled harbour left in the region. 

By then, the voyage had already taken a serious toll, as crews had battled disease and fatigue, engines had required constant maintenance, and refuelling delays had slowed their progress.

At one point near the Dogger Bank on 21 October 1904, the Russian ships mistakenly opened fire on British fishing boats, which caused an international diplomatic crisis that nearly drew Britain into the war.

As a result, it led to the deployment of the Royal Navy’s Home Fleet and was only resolved after Russia agreed to pay compensation.

As the fleet limped eastward, discipline had fallen and morale had worsened. Many of the sailors had received little training in modern gunnery or night operations, while the officers had faced constant equipment failures and had relied on outdated charts and limited intelligence. 

Meanwhile, Admiral Tōgō prepared a strike on the fleet that he was warned was approaching.

Tōgō, who was educated at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, had developed a solid familiarity with Western naval tactics and applied them to Japan’s growing maritime power.

He, who had information from intercepted signals and diplomatic contacts, had correctly predicted that Rozhestvensky would attempt to pass through the Tsushima Strait.

The Japanese Combined Fleet consisted of four well-maintained battleships, eight armoured cruisers, and dozens of destroyers, torpedo boats, and support craft, and remained in peak condition.

Although Japan’s battleships were pre-dreadnoughts, their superior upkeep and coordination gave them a significant edge.

Tōgō had ensured that his crews had trained relentlessly in coordinated manoeuvres and range-finding techniques, and they had practised torpedo deployment until crews had executed it as an integrated tactic.

He maintained strict discipline and avoided overextending his resources before the moment of engagement.

At dawn on 27 May, scouts found the Russian fleet that was steaming north through the strait.

Tōgō raised the Z flag aboard his flagship Mikasa and delivered his now-famous signal: “The fate of the Empire depends on the result of this battle. Let every man do his utmost.”

He manoeuvred his line to cross the Russian formation's "T", which let his ships deliver full broadsides and limited Russian fire to their forward guns.

This tactic maximised Japanese firepower and exposed the Russian fleet to enfilading fire, and, as a result, Japanese salvos struck accurately.

Early in the exchange, the Russian battleship Oslyabya took heavy damage and became the first battleship to sink during the battle, and it sank within an hour.

Other Japanese vessels that included Shikishima and Fuji caused heavy damage to Russian cruisers and battleships.

By mid-afternoon, Russian formations had broken apart. The battleship Borodino exploded after a direct hit caused its ammunition to explode.

Torpedo strikes crippled the remaining vessels, and Japanese destroyers kept up their attacks after nightfall, as they launched repeated attacks throughout the night that used coordinated waves of torpedoes and gunfire.

While few torpedoes achieved direct hits, the continuous attacks and confusion contributed to the breakdown of Russian defences which forced the Russians into chaos and panic.

Admiral Rozhestvensky, who was wounded and confused, had already lost effective command of the battle earlier when his flagship Knyaz Suvorov was disabled and cut off from the main formation.

By the morning of 28 May, survivors either attempted to flee to neutral ports or surrendered.

When support and supply ships were included, the total number of Russian vessels exceeded sixty.

Fewer than ten escaped, and approximately 4,500 to 5,000 Russian sailors died while over 6,000 became prisoners.

In contrast, Japan lost three torpedo boats and just over 100 men. The scale of the victory shocked European observers.

Back in Russia, the consequences of the disaster affected more than the naval command.

Public reaction quickly turned to anger and despair. The Tsarist regime, already strained by internal unrest and military failures, faced new protests and uprisings.

The loss had sped up the events that led to the 1905 Revolution. Meanwhile, foreign powers, many of which had colonial interests in Asia, recognised that Japan had become a major strategic force.

The war ended soon after with the Treaty of Portsmouth in September 1905, negotiated by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role.

Under the treaty, Russia gave up control of southern Sakhalin and withdrew from Manchuria and Korea.

For Japan, the Battle of Tsushima provided a global demonstration of the nation’s military capability and its industrial readiness, while it also highlighted the effectiveness of Japan’s command structure.

Experts from major navies studied the engagement for its lessons in fire control and manoeuvring, and for the way coordination joined those elements during battle.

As one of the most one-sided victories in naval history, Tsushima established the importance of wireless communication and regular training.

It additionally showed how careful placement of forces affected battle results in modern warfare.

The encounter also began a shift in global power away from traditional European empires.

Japan was once dismissed by Western observers as a minor island nation, and now held control over the seas of East Asia.