A hundred torpedo aircraft allow for failed drops

The strike calculation allowed roughly half the torpedoes to become useless on entering the water, either breaking up or striking the bottom. Starting with 100 to 120 aircraft would therefore leave about 50 to 60 useful weapons. A reasonably closed-up capital ship was expected to require about three or four hits to sink. The hope was to hit and potentially sink between ten and twenty ships, enough to impose a major loss on the High Seas Fleet. Even a less destructive attack could force the Germans to move farther into the Baltic or come out to fight. A withdrawal would give Britain more freedom around the Danish straits and create an opportunity to force access to the Baltic.