Comparisons with 1934 and 1936 German steam destroyers and Royal Navy Tribals frame the trade. The German steam designs reached about 36 knots but offered only around 1,900 to 2,000 nautical miles at 19 knots, while Bremse managed 3,000 at about 20 knots. Losing one or two knots might be worthwhile if an all-diesel destroyer could cruise much farther. The benefit is operational: extra radius lets escorts accompany raiders and return from missions without the same dependence on tankers, even if peak speed falls slightly.
Chapter · 31:35-35:55
Destroyer speed traded against a radically larger radius
A German diesel destroyer might trade a small amount of maximum speed for materially greater cruising endurance than contemporary steam designs.