The concentrated gunnery phase lasted roughly ninety minutes, marked by the sinking of the second-class battleship Oslyabya, but the battle continued into darkness. At about 20:00, Japanese destroyers attacked from the Russian van while torpedo boats approached from the east and south. This enveloping pressure forced an already damaged and disorganized formation to meet threats from several directions. The attack turns the earlier order-of-battle comparison into an operational lesson: Japan's numerous light craft remained available to pursue, disrupt, and finish the action after the battle line had done its work.
Notable Point · 2:06:33-2:07:45
Japanese light forces closed around the Russians at night
After the main gunnery action, destroyers attacked from ahead while torpedo boats pressed from the east and south, demonstrating the tactical payoff of Japan's light-force depth.