Internal politics limited the class more than money or treaty rules. Offensive forces associated with Tirpitz's Risk Fleet received priority over defensive ships. A little more investment and development of the triple-expansion machinery might have produced 22 or 23 knots, though turbines and 40-knot performance were not realistic for this design. Because these were purpose-built minelayers rather than conversions, settling for an adequate specification surrendered some of the value of committing to a specialist type. The broader procurement lesson is that a small ship with a niche but strategically important mission still needs to be designed and funded properly. The class was a sound first attempt whose potential exceeded the priority it received.
Notable Point · 34:11-37:11
Defensive capability constrained by politics
The Nautilus class shows how internal political priorities could limit a useful defensive capability more than technology or budget did.