Tsushima is remembered chiefly as a victory for capital-ship gunnery. Japanese destroyers and torpedo boats represented a large share of pre-war investment and received several Russian battleships and coastal battleships as designated kills. A still larger torpedo tally might have driven greater international investment in destroyers and torpedoes before 1914. Public attention might also have remained fixed on expensive, high-status capital ships regardless of the result. Institutional prestige and the need to justify major programs can obscure the less glamorous ships that make a balanced fleet effective.
Notable Point · 1:08:40-1:10:40
Why Tsushima's light forces faded from memory
Tsushima became famous as a long-range gunnery victory even though destroyers and torpedo boats shaped the battle and finished several Russian ships.