Could the Reichsmarine have given Lütjens more sea command?

Could Lütjens have received more sea-command experience during the interwar years?

Not easily: the Reichsmarine's small personnel ceiling and restricted fleet left too few larger commands while it also had to preserve the officer core for any future expansion.

The Reichsmarine had to preserve enough officers to maintain a balanced navy and support possible future expansion. Its permitted strength of roughly fifteen thousand personnel, including fifteen hundred officers, left little room for that task. Officers needed useful employment even when the service could not provide more sea time. Lütjens's restricted opportunities were part of this institutional problem.