The Russians had control of Port Arthur to the West of the Korean Peninsula as well as the port at Vladivostok to the northeast. Japan had been seen as an odd and backward country, and though they might have some new technology they were assumed to have little ability fighting modern wars. Russia was an established world power by the early 1900s and was confident when tensions with Japan broke into an all-out war over ownership of the Korean Peninsula. Many other ships built just prior to this point had to face their guns a particular direction meaning an attack had to halt while the turret turned and after reloading would have to reacquire a target. Though it may sound trivial, many of the larger Japanese guns had omnidirectional reloading meaning they could continue to point in any direction and continue firing. Battleships were built with the latest technologies including better reinforcements for the hulls and more accurate targeting systems.
