Torpedo-fuze repair versus strategic command

Dönitz acted when torpedoes and their magnetic detonators were failing, replacing them with contact detonators. That response demonstrates practical attention to a weapon problem that directly affected U-boat effectiveness. The episode contrasts this operational competence with the broader judgement expected of an admiral and chief of staff. Dönitz could keep a specialist arm functioning while still missing the strategic logic of enemy operations and force allocation. The distinction is useful when judging commanders whose expertise is genuine but concentrated in a single branch or problem set.