His promotion into the High Seas Fleet's reconnaissance forces increased Pohl's rank and status without establishing him as an innovator. Avoiding annihilation had value, but a reconnaissance commander also had to obtain useful information. Pohl's instinct was consistently to preserve his force, a preference that foreshadowed his wartime fleet policy. The comparison with Franz von Hipper clarifies why mere safety could be inadequate in a scouting command whose purpose was to find and report the enemy.
Notable Point · 11:13-12:41
A safe pair of hands in reconnaissance command
Pohl's caution protected reconnaissance forces but did not necessarily deliver the information an aggressive fleet command needed.