Abstract
The Russo-Japanese War(1904-1905) in the early 20th century greatly influenced the international politics in Northeast Asia and the destiny of both countries. There are many studies on the cause of the outbreak and its effect on the Korean peninsula. The victory and defeat of the battle of Tsushima also the subject of research by renowned scholars and navy officers. Many previous studies have analyzed the process of engagement. However, There was a lack of research that analyzed at the tactical level of naval commanders. Therefore, this study tries to review the battle of Tsushima in terms of tactical level, that is formation, maneuvering, damage control. Naval operations at sea with many variables are not always done as planned. The intuitive judgement and readiness have had a decisive impact on victory and defeat. The analysis of the naval warfare on the basis of formation, maneuvering, and damage control makes the cause of the win more clearly. The conclusion of the this study can be summarized in five ways. First, victory would be achieved through the suppression of the beginning. The destiny of the Tsushima battle was determined by an 1 hour after first firing. The Japanese fleet caught fire by paralyzing the command and control capabilities of the Russian fleet. Second, the Japanese fleet's power was superior to the Russian fleet. In general, Japan and Russia had similar powers, and Admiral Togo's "T crossing tactics" decisively contributed the victory. However, when compared to the weapon system level, formation and maneuvering, Japan was much more dominant. Third, people realized that one side to be annihilated in the battle between similar powers after the Tsushima battle. The common perception before the Battle of Tsushima was that the battle ship would not sunken, and that the result of wiping out was difficult. However, there is s time for one sided victory and defeat depending on the early suppression nad the destruction of the command and control ability. Fourth, it is the importance of damage control ability. The main cause of the Russian fleet's loss of command and control ability was thick smoke from fire, and maneuverability was greatly deteriorated due to coal overload. In this way, importance is still valid after more than 100 tears. Fifth, the area of uncertainty. In the navy battles, one or two shots of clear firing in the beginning and small misconception and minor mistakes decide win or loss. Ultimately, this area of fortune can be linked to mindset of the commander. I hope this research will be help to naval researchers and naval commanders at the sea.