Did the Fi 167 need Graf Zeppelin's catapult?

Did the Fi 167's low speed justify Graf Zeppelin's compressed-air catapult?

No. Low-speed biplanes such as Swordfish could operate from small decks, and later rocket assistance offered another launch aid.

A defense of Graf Zeppelin points to the Fi 167 torpedo and dive bomber's low flying speed as a good fit for the compressed-air trolley. The reply uses Swordfish operations from escort carriers to show that low-speed biplanes could launch without that particular system. The aircraft's handling qualities therefore do not validate the carrier's slow, machinery-dependent launch cycle. Later wartime forces also used rockets to assist takeoff, showing that launch assistance could be added without making the entire air group depend on Graf Zeppelin's arrangement.