Baltic trade as a pressure point after the raid

The Baltic provides Germany with a route around the blockade. Supplies pass through Norwegian ports and Sweden, then move onward in Swedish and sometimes Danish vessels. If losses at Wilhelmshaven allow British warships into the Baltic, those movements become more vulnerable. Cruisers could create persistent trouble for German supply traffic without requiring the presence of an entire battle fleet. British submarine attempts to reach Russia through the Baltic provide an existing example of efforts to penetrate the area.