Lists of supposedly bad admirals often include Zinovy Rozhestvensky, overlooking what it took to bring the Russian squadrons around the world in fighting order. The fleet lacked proper dry-docking, engine rebuilding, and sustained gunnery practice during the voyage. Those limitations accumulated across the global deployment and shaped what the ships could do when they arrived. Defeat at Tsushima does not erase the command and logistical achievement of getting them there. Judging Rozhestvensky only by the final battle ignores the material condition of the force he was ordered to use.
Notable Point · 5:04-6:08
Rozhestvensky and the achievement hidden by Tsushima
The voyage of Russia's Second and Third Pacific Squadrons is treated as a major logistical feat despite their defeat at Tsushima.