German industry produced about five aerial torpedoes per month in 1939. The figure then narrows from five nominal units to five working weapons, making reliability part of the shortfall. Naval aviation plans depended on a production system capable of delivering usable weapons as well as aircraft. Industrial and logistical capacity could therefore limit an operational concept before combat began.
Notable Point · 34:13-34:48
Working aerial torpedoes exposed a German production bottleneck
Germany's low output of working aerial torpedoes shows how weapon reliability and production capacity constrained naval air plans.