Smaller hulls have less magazine space and must return for ammunition more often. The comparison with aircraft distinguishes refuelling on the move from the need to go back for weapons. In the hypothetical example, remotely controlled vessels carry weapons forward, fire them and return empty. Those ships can require protection on both legs of the journey, while the distance to the rearming base determines how many are needed to maintain the circuit. Similar questions about keeping screening ships available encouraged larger, more powerful and longer-ranged destroyers before and during World War I.
Notable Point · 8:40-10:15
Small hulls and the ships needed to sustain a rearming circuit
Distributing weapons among small ships still leaves the problem of keeping enough armed vessels on station.