Build modest capacity before the emergency

The class shows what German industry could produce under wartime pressure, while also exposing the lack of an incremental prewar program. The comparison is a two-bay fire station built when only one vehicle is needed: leaving room for later expansion costs less than rebuilding the site. Germany knew Nautilus was too slow for wider North Sea operations and still waited until seized turbines made a successor convenient. Preparedness did not require mass production. Ordering another pair every few years would have retained design experience and provided useful capacity at limited cost.