A bigger German destroyer force invites a countermove

Would a larger, more capable German destroyer programme have transformed the naval balance?

It might have created a serious problem, but it would require altered German design choices and would trigger countermeasures from the Royal Navy.

The answer treats a larger German destroyer programme as more than a question of hull numbers. Germany's larger destroyers partly served as cruiser substitutes, which shaped their purpose and design. To create ships comparable to Tribal or Fletcher classes, Germany would need different armament choices from those evident in its 1934 and 1936 destroyers and exposed in actions such as Narvik. It would also face a Royal Navy reaction, perhaps through more Dido- or Arethusa-like cruisers, so the counterfactual cannot hold British decisions still.