In 1905 in the strait of Tsushima the newly modern fleet of Japan destroyed the Russian fleet. This was the beginning of the rise of Japanese power in the region and kept Russia out of the area until after WWII. One young Japanese officer was named Yamamoto who eventually commanded the Japanese forces in early WWII. In the battle in 1905 he lost two fingers in an explosion. If he had lost a third finger he would have been discharged from the military.

(The Great Courses – The Decisive Battles of World History)