How warships approached abandonment

Were lifeboats the right lifesaving system for warships, given the value of trained crews?

Only partly. Boats remained useful, but combat damage and nearby rescue ships made warship abandonment a different problem from liner evacuation.

Wooden boats could be destroyed by gunfire and splinters before a warship's crew had any chance to use them. Naval rescue therefore also depended on nearby friendly ships, or on an opponent observing the practice of rescuing people once they were in the water. Destroyers and other small vessels sometimes came alongside a sinking capital ship to take off its crew. That rescue was itself dangerous because both ships could carry fuel, ammunition, fire, and explosive damage.