Tirpitz did not invent fleet-in-being strategy. Lord Torrington had used an early version during his 1690 command in the English Channel. Torrington aimed to preserve his fleet until overseas squadrons returned, while retaining the option to defeat a detached French force on favorable terms. Tirpitz repackaged this older operational logic without solving Germany's industrial and diplomatic disadvantages.
Notable Point · 1:17:33-1:18:41
Lord Torrington and the older fleet-in-being strategy
The risk-fleet concept predated Tirpitz: Lord Torrington had already used fleet preservation to constrain a stronger opponent in 1690.