German armor-steel competition and rival ministries

Did German shipbuilding face a different bottleneck because the navy competed with the army for armor-grade steel?

Yes, with overlapping authorities and rivalry also blamed for rewarding political success more readily than efficient production.

The navy's competition with the army for armor-grade steel is accepted as part of the German difficulty. The type of war Germany intended to fight gave the army the stronger claim in that contest. Ministries with overlapping responsibilities add another problem. Different organizations could be required to deliver the same result while competing for personal credit and status. In this interpretation, the arrangement encouraged political struggles and duplication, with little incentive to make the whole manufacturing system more efficient.