Steam freed warships from wind and tide only if they could obtain fuel across their operating area. When few ports stocked coal, those stations became predictable destinations much like the sailing choke points around which fleets had long met and fought. An opponent no longer needed to search the whole ocean; a civilian observer able to describe a ship and send a coded telegram could report activity at the limited fuel stops. The logistical network therefore created an intelligence vulnerability alongside its operational benefit. Expanding the number of coaling ports made steam fleets harder to track as well as easier to sustain, while the heavy ironclad hull still made sail alone a poor substitute.
Notable Point · 43:11-45:17
Coal stations as strategic choke points
A sparse fuel network could make steam-fleet movements as predictable as wind and tide made sailing routes, allowing simple observation of a few ports to replace an ocean-wide search.