Germany's early submarine force contained the experienced officers and senior NCOs needed to build a much larger U-boat arm in 1941-1943. Losses comparable to those inflicted on German destroyers in Norway could have seriously damaged that expansion. Ineffective German torpedoes helped conceal how many submarines were operating around Norway. British forces sometimes believed only a small number had been deployed there and that more remained near the Baltic approaches. The example separates the number of submarines available from the trained personnel needed to sustain future growth.
Notable Point · 31:15-33:02
Norway's surviving U-boat crews supported later German expansion
The Norway example connects early submarine losses, torpedo failures, and the experienced crews needed for expansion.