On the night of February 8, 1904 the Japanese Navy under the command of Tōgō Heihachirō began military operations against the Russian Empire. As result of sudden attack on Port Arthur, two Russian battleships were seriously damaged by Tropedoes. This attack developed into a full-scale battle known as Siege of Port Arthur the next morning. Several attempts by Japanese Navy to attack Russian fleets were failed due to coastal artillery fire and the reluctance of the Russian fleet to leave the harbor for battle on the high seas, especially after the death of Admiral S. Makarov on April 13, 1904.