Vitgeft's alternatives at Port Arthur

Keeping Vitgeft at Port Arthur opens two counterfactual alternatives to the immediate battle. His artillery knowledge could have supported the fortress and perhaps helped the siege last long enough for reinforcement. If a breakout toward Vladivostok remained necessary, late December or early January might have brought storms that disrupted minefields and made Japanese patrols harder to sustain. The historical sortie came barely a week after the siege began, when the opposing forces were still at high alert. Neither alternative guarantees success, although both align the timing and assignment more closely with the force's condition and Vitgeft's expertise.