Vitgeft believed "in a fleet in being",[2] which simply stayed at anchor, while at the same time contributing some of his weaponry to the land battle as the safest course to follow.

Faced with an Imperial writ and threat of legal action, Admiral Vitgeft was ordered to sail for Vladivostok immediately.

[3] By 06:15 hours, on 10 August 1904, Admiral Vitgeft, flying his flag in the battleship Tsesarevich, began leading his fleet from the harbor.

The Russian fleet consisted of the battleships Tsesarevich, Retvizan, Pobeda, Peresvet, Sevastopol, and Poltava, the protected cruisers Askold, Diana, Novik and Pallada, and 14 destroyers.

At 18:40 on 10 August 1904, Admiral Vitgeft and his immediate staff were killed instantly when a 12-inch (305 mm) salvo from the Japanese battleship Asahi struck the upper bridge of the Russian flagship Tsesarevich.