Rozhestvensky's gunnery, coastal operations, and diplomatic experience made him the closest available fit for an assignment he never expected to receive. He nevertheless distrusted the Russian command system enough to conceal his intended route from the Third Pacific Squadron's commander. Calling those reinforcements self-sinkers reflected his judgment that their obsolete ships would slow and complicate an already incompatible fleet. His secrecy illustrates a command structure in which an admiral tried to evade his own government's help because it made the mission less feasible.
Notable Point · 1:02:42-1:05:22
Why Rozhestvensky hid his route from reinforcements
Rozhestvensky withheld his route because he regarded the Third Pacific Squadron's older ships as liabilities that would further weaken his formation.