Q&A · 3:16:27-3:16:42

Why Germany did not field more Seeadler-style sailing raiders

Seeadler's success was difficult to reproduce because suitable sailing ships, conversion time, money, and investment were all limited.

Question

If Seeadler was successful, why did Germany not field more windjammer surface raiders?

Short answer

Suitable hulls were scarce, and Germany lacked the time, money, and investment needed to create more.

Notes

Success did not mean the windjammer-raider concept could scale easily. A raider needed an appropriate sailing hull, and suitable ships were scarce. Conversion and employment also required time, money, and committed investment. Those constraints made additional raiders difficult even after Seeadler demonstrated that the concept could work.