Torpedo emphasis and the missed pursuit

The Germans continued to call the vessels torpedo boats even after they had developed into destroyers with useful gun armament. That name may show how strongly torpedo attack still shaped their employment. The German boats could manoeuvre faster, carried more and better guns, and probably had larger crews than the sloops. They had the means to pursue, fight with guns, or possibly capture another vessel before heavier Royal Navy forces arrived. Misidentifying the plainly smaller sloops as cruisers on a clear day also points to poor tactical assessment. A torpedo-centred view of the ships may have discouraged commanders from making full use of their guns, speed, and crews.