Tōgō expected the opening destroyer attack to leave the Russians disorganized, but the patrolling cruiser Boyarin alerted their defenses. His decision to divide twelve-inch fire against shore positions and six-inch fire against ships then diluted the bombardment while concentrated Russian fire inflicted the heavier casualties. He later lured out part of the squadron, after which Admiral Stepan Makarov's flagship Petropavlovsk struck a Japanese minefield and sank catastrophically. Russian minefields then sank Japanese battleships in return, demonstrating that Russian resistance and mine warfare imposed serious costs even though Asahi survived. The sequence shows Tōgō adapting after a poor first attack while Russian ships and minefields remained capable of changing the campaign.
Chapter · 33:29-37:17
Port Arthur exposes command and mine warfare risks
Tōgō's disappointing opening bombardment, Makarov's death, and later Japanese mine losses reveal a campaign far less one-sided than its reputation.