A victory at Coronel would give the new cruisers immediate political and operational credibility. They are cheaper to build and crew than battlecruisers while still supplying powerful, fast support across the empire. Their existence weakens the case for special shallow-draft capital ships intended for Fisher's Baltic concept, because the Tiger Cubs already provide a lighter fast force that only capital ships can comfortably defeat. Fisher would probably retain the successful cruiser programme and find Courageous, Glorious, and Furious much harder to justify.
Notable Point · 48:55-51:45
Why the Courageous class may never be needed
If the Tiger Cubs prove their value, they could undermine both the Baltic rationale and the resources used for the Courageous class.