Germany's cruiser problem is industrial as much as tactical. Britain and the United States were discussing modular warship construction, while German practice remained highly bespoke. Importing a modular production culture quickly enough to mass-produce cruisers would require another major institutional change on top of the fleet expansion itself. Even after solving the capital-ship problem, Germany would still lack an easy path to the numerous scouts and screens a balanced fleet requires.
Notable Point · 1:23:25-1:24:25
Bespoke cruiser design limits German mass production
Germany's need for many cruisers collides with a design culture built around individually optimized ships rather than modular repetition.