Combining torpedoes with firepower produced more useful forces, but it also made the attacking ships larger, more complicated, and less replaceable. Because those ships could perform other missions, commanders had more reasons to preserve them instead of spending them in a speculative attack. A comparison with modern uncrewed systems makes the tradeoff concrete: two hundred cheap commercial drones may offer more expendable mass than one highly secured platform bought for the same total price. The expensive system may be individually superior, yet losing it creates a much larger operational and procurement problem. Cost and replaceability therefore shape doctrine as much as a weapon's nominal performance does.
Notable Point · 34:20-37:03
When a torpedo attack becomes too valuable to risk
As torpedo forces became larger, more capable, and more expensive, commanders had stronger reasons not to spend them casually.