The transports, repair ship, ammunition ship, tugs, and hospital ships were essential because Russia had no chain of bases, but their presence also tied the battle fleet to vulnerable auxiliaries. Several Borodino-class battleships left almost directly after commissioning, without the shakedown and crew preparation normally expected before combat. HMS Prince of Wales also sailed for the Denmark Strait before it was fully worked up, though the newest Russian ships were even less prepared. Older divisions mixed different speeds, gun calibers, layouts, and design philosophies. The fleet train was therefore simultaneously too burdensome for battle and too small to maintain such a varied force through a long deployment without assured dockyard access.
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An inadequate fleet train and unready battleships
Rozhestvensky had to protect a small auxiliary train while bringing newly commissioned battleships and incompatible older ships into action without a secure repair base.