Similar yard counts did not mean similar output

Britain and Germany had broadly comparable numbers of yards associated with capital-ship construction, but the British programme produced more ships over the relevant years. Launch averages provide an initial historical diagnostic rather than a final measure of efficiency. Comparing yards in aggregate identifies unexpectedly high or low performance and directs research toward suppliers, materials, contracts, workforce, or fitting-out bottlenecks. Similar ship displacements and subdivision make it difficult to explain the whole gap by claiming German vessels were simply more complex. A shipyard is not an isolated factory: its effectiveness depends on sustained work, repeat orders, and a supporting industrial network.