The Baltic Fleet (The Russian Second Pacific Fleet), commanded by Vice Admiral Zinovii Petrovich Rozhdestvenskii, departed the Baltic Naval Base in Libau on October 15th, 1904, and on November 3rd, 1904, detached the Ferikerzam Squadron at Tangier, Morocco on assignment to cross the Suez Canal. The Second Pacific Fleet then continued to transit southward in the Atlantic Ocean around Africa and arrived at Nosy-Be, Madagascar on December 29th, 1904. Meanwhile, on December 11th, 1904, the remaining units of the Russian Port Arthur Fleet (First Pacific Fleet) were destroyed by Japanese shore bombardment. As a result, Russia hastily organized the Third Pacific Fleet (to reinforce the Second Pacific Fleet) with five outdated ships as its major units and ordered them to depart from Libau on February 15th, 1905.
Concurrently, after the rendezvous with the Ferikerzam Squadron, the Baltic Fleet departed Madagascar on March 16th, 1905 and transited eastward in the Indian Ocean, heading for Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. The Third Pacific Fleet eventually rendezvoused with the Second Pacific Fleet (Baltic Fleet) after arriving in Cam Ranh Bay.