Salvage capacity belongs alongside fuel and ammunition in the support needed to sustain combat operations. Commercial tugs and salvors cannot be assumed to enter threatened waters such as the Red Sea. Without specialized towing and recovery vessels, a damaged carrier, cruiser, or destroyer may be lost because it cannot be brought out. Mercogliano describes a US salvage force reduced to two ships while replacements were still being built, leaving a gap between retiring the old vessels and receiving the new ones.
Notable Point · 1:31:44-1:32:44
Salvage ships keep battle damage from becoming a total loss
A damaged warship may be lost unless specialized ships can tow and recover it from contested waters when commercial salvors will not enter.