The 1898 programme set out battle squadrons, cruisers, scouts, and reserves. Germany's ocean liners demonstrated high-end workmanship, though classes of only one to three ships did little to establish the volume production needed for a battle fleet. Even counting the outdated Brandenburg class, the capital-ship target arrived in 1906 rather than 1903. Without those ships, it arrived in 1908. A law could specify the fleet, but it could not by itself produce the yards, suppliers, and workforce needed to build it on schedule.
Chapter · 17:25-20:04
Naval Laws met a shallow maritime base
Germany's Naval Laws specified an ambitious battle fleet, but shipbuilding capacity and experience made the schedule difficult to meet.