Japanese success outside Port Arthur led Corbett to think European fears of surface torpedo craft threatening a blockade had been exaggerated. The observed danger appeared comparable to the weather obstacles that sailing fleets had long managed. That conclusion rested on evidence from a secondary Russian port while the technology was changing rapidly. By 1914, submarines, improved torpedoes, and belligerents' willingness to violate international law had transformed the problem. The example shows both the value and the short shelf life of doctrine derived from a recent war.
Notable Point · 34:39-35:17
Port Arthur showed how quickly torpedo lessons could expire
Corbett used the Japanese blockade of Port Arthur to judge torpedo-boat risk, but 1914 technology and conduct soon overturned that conclusion.