Commerce warfare fills the gap after fleet attack

The flotilla concept assumed an enemy battle fleet would enter a prepared concentration of small attackers and be destroyed. That expectation left little room for the enemy to avoid the trap, change its tactics, or devise a counter. Even if the battle fleet were lost, Britain could not be beaten merely by losing warships; its trade also had to be attacked through guerre de course. Commerce warfare required larger, long-ranged cruisers able to hunt merchant shipping. The supposedly small-craft doctrine still depended on major oceangoing vessels.