Close coalition service lets each navy replace paper estimates with direct observation. German officers would face questions about why their Deutschland-class ships carry 11-inch guns when modern 8-inch cruisers expose the design's compromises. On land, they would encounter a heavily mechanized British Army, challenging the idea that Britain had ignored its own armored-warfare theorists. Those observations could prompt a reassessment of ship design and Allied readiness. The technical comparisons could also influence when Germany considers itself ready for a European war.
Notable Point · 25:36-27:40
Coalition service tests German design assumptions
Operating beside Allied forces would expose German officers to criticism of the Deutschland class and to British mechanization that contradicted convenient prewar assumptions.