Port Arthur consumed Russia's prepared Pacific force

Before the war, Russia economized by concentrating maintenance and training on its First Pacific Squadron, which probably also received its best admiral. Once that force was trapped at Port Arthur, its ability to serve as the empire's prepared Far Eastern fleet was steadily destroyed. Its sorties sometimes caught Togo off guard, but they did not prevent the squadron's annihilation. Japanese artillery, illness, alcohol, and poor food also depleted senior officers. The later expedition therefore inherited an unbalanced fleet and a badly thinned command pool.