 The sisters spent most of the Russo @-@ Japanese War as flagships together in the 2nd Division of the 2nd Fleet ; Iwate for the divisional commander , Rear Admiral Misu Sotarō , and Izumo for the fleet commander , Vice Admiral Kamimura Hikonojō . They participated in the Battle of Port Arthur on 9 February 1904 , when Vice Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō led the Combined Fleet in an attack on the Russian ships of the Pacific Squadron anchored just outside Port Arthur . Tōgō had expected the earlier surprise night attack by his destroyers to be much more successful than it was , anticipating that the Russians would be badly disorganized and weakened , but they had recovered from their surprise and were ready for his attack . Iwate was moderately damaged by the Russians , but Izumo only slightly . 
