History of Japan - Battle of Tsushima 1905

Battle of Tsushima

The Battle of Tsushima, fought in May 1905 between Russia and Japan, was the decisive engagement of the Russo-Japanese War.

Though typically seen as the opening chapter of 20th century naval history, it is in many ways the opening chapter of 21st century naval history as well.

Though the United States played no role in the battle, other than to host the peace negotiations at Portsmouth Navy Yard in New Hampshire three months later, we should still keep the Battle of Tsushima in this new era of great power competition.

The Battle of Tsushima was notable in four main ways. First, it was the debut of a new world power (Japan) and the shocking demise of an old one (Russia).

Second, it demonstrated how difficult it is to fight a regional conflict against a regional power with a geographically dispersed two-ocean Navy.

Third, it showed how a new power could harness new technological advances to completely change the balance of power.

Fourth, it showed how old paradigms of naval customs and international law can crumble when a new power joins the game.

When the enemy’s fleet first appeared in the south seas, squadrons, in obedience to imperial command, adopted the strategy of awaiting him and striking him in our home waters,” Togo later wrote. “We therefore concentrated our strength at the Korean straits.”

Continuous radio reports from Shinano Maru guided the larger Japanese fleet toward the Russians, and at daylight the fog dispersed, allowing 5 miles of visibility. By early afternoon on the 27th both fleets could see each other.

On closing with the enemy, Togo carried out the classic naval maneuver known as “crossing the T,” taking his ships in line astern across the front of the Russian formation at a range of 7,500 yards.

This allowed the main armament of each Japanese ship to bear on the van of the Russian line, while Rozhestvensky’s vessels were only able to deploy their forward guns. The Japanese tactic, combined with their better gunnery knowledge and technique, gave Togo’s gunners the ability to hit their targets more accurately and at longer ranges than could their adversaries.

As firing was about to begin, Togo sent a signal reminiscent of Nelson at Trafalgar: “The fate of the empire depends on the result of this battle—let every man do his utmost.”

At an initial disadvantage because of his flotilla’s line-astern formation and the need to protect his slow and cumbersome supply ships, Rozhestvensky was eventually able to turn his squadron into a line of battle parallel to the Japanese, allowing most of his ships’ guns to fire at the enemy.

By then the Japanese were focusing their fire on Knyaz Suvorov, the Russian flagship, which was hit repeatedly and sank after attempting to withdraw.

The battleship Oslyabya suffered the same fate. Rozhestvensky, injured by shrapnel aboard Knyaz Suvorov, transferred to the destroyer Buinyi and handed over command of the squadron to Rear Adm. Nikolai Nebogatov, aboard the battleship Imperator Nikolai I.

The change of leadership did little to alter the course of the battle. The Japanese ships were equipped with the latest British-made Barr & Stroud gunnery range finders, which had a greater range and enabled a higher rate of fire and far better accuracy than the Russians’ sighting equipment, which mostly dated from the 1880s.

As the battle raged on, the Russian battleships Borodino and Imperator Aleksandr III were repeatedly struck and severely damaged, causing them to fall out of the line of battle and eventually sink.