ABSTRACT
Lights illuminated the outlines of the ships, making them good targets. The lights also revealed the gravity of the situation. Who would have believed such a scene? Eleven Japanese torpedo boats approached the mighty Russian fleet stationed at Port Arthur on the Chinese coast. The bold move unfolded as planned. Not having issued a declaration of war, the Japanese enjoyed the element of surprise and the small Japanese force crept closer to the Russian ships before launching their torpedoes and then rapidly withdrawing completely unscathed. Three hits on three different ships left the Russian fleet shaken but now alert and preparing for battle. It was a battle that never came, given Russian reluctance to fight. Their nerves shattered, the Russian ships took shelter behind the harbor’s guns. The Japanese also took stock of the situation and recoiled from further attacks due to the limited return on their preemptive strike. The Imperial Japanese Navy confronted a wounded but still intact Russian fleet. The Japanese high command understood that the preemptive strike at Port Arthur had initiated a war, but the larger task remained-that of winning the war. Just how preemption contributed to this end was as unclear to the Japanese as their plans to end the war altogether. Preemption appeared to have served a very limited purpose indeed.
