Small combat boats were well suited to dispersed construction by civilian and specialist industries outside the normal naval shipbuilding system. Using those firms could preserve major yards for the larger warships that only they could build. The comparison sets an intricate 50-knot craft requiring months of expert labour against simpler 30-knot boats that might be produced sixteen at a time for the same effort. The slower boats can cover more places or concentrate overwhelming numbers against the superior design. An attacking torpedo boat must approach its target through the defenders, so extra speed does not remove the numerical disadvantage. Producibility was therefore a combat characteristic as well as an economic one.
Notable Point · 11:00-13:42
Small boats reward dispersed mass production
Small craft could draw on industries outside the major naval yards, and many adequate boats might offer more combat value than a few exquisite ones.