Hostility toward the Beiyang administration is offered as the reason another powerful Qing fleet withheld meaningful support before the war with Japan. There was reportedly enough warning for the two fleets to combine at the Beiyang base, raising the possibility of a different outcome at the Yalu River. That possibility is disputed because additional ships would not remove the rivalry between their commanders. A combined force could remain disorganized, refuse common direction, or separate during the battle. The disagreement turns on whether extra hulls could produce useful fighting strength without cooperation between the fleets.
Notable Point · 3:29:33-3:31:55
How Qing fleet rivalry weakened resistance to Japan
China possessed multiple fleets, but divided authority and personal hostility prevented them from combining into a coherent national naval force.