The best bad option and the Deutschland-class problem

The submarine campaign is treated as Germany's best bad option after earlier decisions narrowed the available strategy. Submarines could remain central, but a more balanced force would have made British countermeasures harder to concentrate. The Deutschland-class Panzerschiffe expose the weakness of Germany's existing surface-raider concept because they were not fast enough to escape battlecruisers. Repulse, the refitted Renown, and Hood could catch and overpower them, denying the raiders the freedom of action the strategy required. A submarine-centered campaign would have needed a maritime infrastructure advantage over Britain to overcome Allied replacement capacity, and Germany did not possess one.