 On the morning of 10 August 1904 , the First Pacific Squadron sortied from Port Arthur in an attempt to break through the Japanese fleet blockading the port and reach Vladivostok . The Russian squadron consisted of six battleships , Tsesarevich , Retvizan , Pobeda , Peresvet , Sevastopol and Poltava , along with four protected cruisers and eight destroyers . The Japanese fleet , commanded by Admiral Togo , was comprised four battleships , Mikasa , Asahi , Fuji , Shikishima , two armoured cruisers Nishin and Kasuga , as well as seven protected cruisers . 
