The Decisive Battles of World History

Lecture 31: 1905 Tsushima—Japan Humiliates Russia

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a young man, he witnessed an incident in which a British warship

was able to shell Japan with impunity because of its lack of an

effective navy, causing him to pursue a naval career. Accordingly,

he was sent to England as a cadet in the British navy. After seven

years, he returned to Japan, serving aboard a variety of warships

and participating in several minor sea battles. In 1895, he attained

the rank of admiral.

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Squadron, which had the most modern battleships; the Black Sea

Squadron, trapped in that body of water by Turkish control of the

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near Japan at Port Arthur, consisted of 7 battleships, 7 cruisers, and

a smattering of smaller craft. Although some of the vessels were

reasonably modern, others were outdated, and the crews were

generally ill-trained.

The armament of the Japanese ship Mikasa included four 12-inch cannons in

two rotating turrets, as well as a large secondary armament of 6-inch guns.

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