Small carried boats faced seakeeping and maintenance limits

Germany experimented with small torpedo boats carried aboard larger warships and launched when needed. The idea proved less attractive in practice than on paper, encouraging boats that could keep themselves at sea. The comparison raises an open question about small uncrewed surface vessels: exercises may reveal similar launch, recovery, and endurance problems. Without a crew aboard, maintenance is harder to perform at sea. Adding enough redundant systems to survive failures also increases the vessel's size. Fleet boats needed to stay with the force without being lost in rough seas or towed home.