D class cruiser (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The D class cruisers were a pair of cruisers, classified as Panzerschiffe ("armored ships") by the Kriegsmarine
. The ships were improved versions of the preceding s, authorized by Adolf Hitler
in 1933. They were intended to counter a new French naval construction program. Displacement increased to 20000 LT, but Hitler allowed only increases to armor, prohibiting additions to the ships' main battery. Only one of the two ships was laid down, but it was canceled less than five months after the keel was laid. It was determined that the designs should be enlarged to counter the new French ships. The construction contracts for both ships were superseded by the s.
to power in Germany. At the time, he opposed a large-scale naval rearmament program, but decided to allow limited construction to counter French naval expansion. He therefore authorized the Kriegsmarine to build two additional panzerschiffe (armored ships) to supplement the three Deutschlands. He stipulated that displacement be limited to 19000 LT and the primary battery would remain two triple turrets mounting 28 cm (11 in) guns. Admiral Erich Raeder
, the commander in chief of the Kriegsmarine, advocated increasing the armor protection for the new panzershiffe and inquired about the possibility of including a third triple turret. It was determined, however, that a third turret could not be added to the ship and still remain within the 19,000 ton limit prescribed by Hitler.
The ships were designed under the contract names D and E, and designed under the provisional names Ersatz Elsass and Ersatz Hessen as replacements for the old pre-dreadnought
s and . The contract for the first ship, D, was awarded on 25 January 1934 to the Kriegsmarinewerft
in Wilhelmshaven
. The ship's keel
was laid on 14 February That month, the Kriegsmarine decided to alter the designs to counter the new ships building in France. Displacement was increased to 26000 LT and a third 28 cm triple-turret was added. Construction on D was therefore halted on 5 July, and E was never laid down. The construction contracts were canceled and reallocated for the two battleships of the .
. The ships would have been turbine-powered; the engines were designed to provide 125000 shp and a top speed of 29 knots.
The ships would have been similarly equipped to the preceding Deutschland class ships. The ships would have mounted six of the same 28 cm (11 in)/52 C/28
quick-firing guns in the same triple turret mounts. The guns had an actual bore diameter of 28.3 cm (11.1 in), and fired both armor-piercing
and high-explosive shells; both shells weighed 300 kg (661.4 lb). The guns used two sets of propellant charges: a 36.0 kg (79.4 lb) fore charge in a silk bag and a 71.0 kg (156.6 lb) main charge in a brass case. The shells were fired at 910 meters per second (2,986 fps), and at maximum elevation of 40 degrees, a range of 36,475 m (39,890 yards). The guns had a rate of fire of 2.5 rounds per minute. However, eight guns were considered, had there been a quadruple turret available. The guns were supplied by a total of 900 shells, for a total of 150 rounds per gun.
The design's secondary battery comprised eight 15 cm (5.9 in)/55 SK C/28
quick-firing guns. The guns fired a 45.3 kg (99.9 lb) shells at a muzzle velocity of 875 m² (1,046.5 sq yd). With a maximum elevation of 40°, the guns could fire out to 23000 m (75,459.3 ft). These guns had already been ordered by the time construction of the ships was canceled; their availability influenced the design of the Scharnhorst class, which mounted eight of their twelve 15 cm guns in dual turrets.
The heavy anti-aircraft battery consisted of eight 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/33
guns in twin mountings. The mounts were the Dopp LC/31 type, originally designed for earlier 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK C/31 guns
. The LC/31 mounting was triaxially-stabilized and capable of elevating to 80°. This enabled the guns to engage targets up to a ceiling of 12500 m (41,010.5 ft). Against surface targets, the guns had a maximum range of 17700 m (58,070.9 ft). The guns fired fixed ammunition weighing 15.1 kg (33.3 lb); the guns could fire HE and HE incendiary rounds, as well as illumination shells. A number of various other anti-aircraft guns were also to be fitted, but the details were not determined before the class was canceled. The ships were also armed with an unknown number of 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes.
The D class ships used steel manufactured by Krupp
for their armor. The ships' upper deck armor was 35 mm (1.4 in) thick. The main armored deck was 70 mm (2.8 in) forward, 80 mm (3.1 in) amidships, and decreased to 70 mm towards the stern. The conning tower
was quite heavily armored, with side armor 300 mm (11.8 in) thick. The main armored belt
was 220 mm (8.7 in) thick, and the citadel armor was 50 mm (2 in) thick.
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
. The ships were improved versions of the preceding s, authorized by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in 1933. They were intended to counter a new French naval construction program. Displacement increased to 20000 LT, but Hitler allowed only increases to armor, prohibiting additions to the ships' main battery. Only one of the two ships was laid down, but it was canceled less than five months after the keel was laid. It was determined that the designs should be enlarged to counter the new French ships. The construction contracts for both ships were superseded by the s.
Design
The ships were designed as follow-ons to the Deutschland class cruisers. In 1933, the rise of the Nazi Party brought Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
to power in Germany. At the time, he opposed a large-scale naval rearmament program, but decided to allow limited construction to counter French naval expansion. He therefore authorized the Kriegsmarine to build two additional panzerschiffe (armored ships) to supplement the three Deutschlands. He stipulated that displacement be limited to 19000 LT and the primary battery would remain two triple turrets mounting 28 cm (11 in) guns. Admiral Erich Raeder
Erich Raeder
Erich Johann Albert Raeder was a naval leader in Germany before and during World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank—that of Großadmiral — in 1939, becoming the first person to hold that rank since Alfred von Tirpitz...
, the commander in chief of the Kriegsmarine, advocated increasing the armor protection for the new panzershiffe and inquired about the possibility of including a third triple turret. It was determined, however, that a third turret could not be added to the ship and still remain within the 19,000 ton limit prescribed by Hitler.
The ships were designed under the contract names D and E, and designed under the provisional names Ersatz Elsass and Ersatz Hessen as replacements for the old pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
s and . The contract for the first ship, D, was awarded on 25 January 1934 to the Kriegsmarinewerft
Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven was the naval shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, Prussian Hanover, between 1918 and 1945 in the German Navy's extensive base located there.-History:...
in Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
. The ship's keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid on 14 February That month, the Kriegsmarine decided to alter the designs to counter the new ships building in France. Displacement was increased to 26000 LT and a third 28 cm triple-turret was added. Construction on D was therefore halted on 5 July, and E was never laid down. The construction contracts were canceled and reallocated for the two battleships of the .
Characteristics
The ships were 230 metres (754.6 ft) long overall, and 225 m (738.2 ft) at the waterline. The ships would have had a breadth of 25.5 m (83.7 ft) and a draft of 8.5 m (27.9 ft). The finalized design displaced 20000 LT at the designed displacement. "D" was to have been fitted with accommodations to serve as a fleet flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. The ships would have been turbine-powered; the engines were designed to provide 125000 shp and a top speed of 29 knots.
The ships would have been similarly equipped to the preceding Deutschland class ships. The ships would have mounted six of the same 28 cm (11 in)/52 C/28
28 cm SK C/28 naval gun
The German 28 cm C/28 naval gun was a 283 mm 52-caliber built-up gun designed in 1928 used on the Deutschland class "pocket battleships".-History:-Characteristics:...
quick-firing guns in the same triple turret mounts. The guns had an actual bore diameter of 28.3 cm (11.1 in), and fired both armor-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
and high-explosive shells; both shells weighed 300 kg (661.4 lb). The guns used two sets of propellant charges: a 36.0 kg (79.4 lb) fore charge in a silk bag and a 71.0 kg (156.6 lb) main charge in a brass case. The shells were fired at 910 meters per second (2,986 fps), and at maximum elevation of 40 degrees, a range of 36,475 m (39,890 yards). The guns had a rate of fire of 2.5 rounds per minute. However, eight guns were considered, had there been a quadruple turret available. The guns were supplied by a total of 900 shells, for a total of 150 rounds per gun.
The design's secondary battery comprised eight 15 cm (5.9 in)/55 SK C/28
15 cm SK C/28
The 15 cm SK C/28 was a German medium-caliber naval gun used during the Second World War. It served as the secondary armament for the Bismarck class and Scharnhorst-class battleships, Deutschland-class pocket battleships and the Graf Zeppelin class aircraft carrier...
quick-firing guns. The guns fired a 45.3 kg (99.9 lb) shells at a muzzle velocity of 875 m² (1,046.5 sq yd). With a maximum elevation of 40°, the guns could fire out to 23000 m (75,459.3 ft). These guns had already been ordered by the time construction of the ships was canceled; their availability influenced the design of the Scharnhorst class, which mounted eight of their twelve 15 cm guns in dual turrets.
The heavy anti-aircraft battery consisted of eight 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/33
10.5 cm FlaK 38
The 10.5 cm SK C/33 was a German anti-aircraft gun used during World War II by the Kriegsmarine on a number of their larger capital ships. It was later adapted for Luftwaffe as a competitor to the famed 8.8 cm FlaK 18 as the 10.5 cm FlaK 38...
guns in twin mountings. The mounts were the Dopp LC/31 type, originally designed for earlier 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK C/31 guns
8.8 cm SK C/31 naval gun
The 8.8 cm SK C/31 The 8.8 cm SK C/31 The 8.8 cm SK C/31 (SK - Schnelladekanone (quick loading cannon) C - Construktionsjahr (year of design) was a German naval gun that was used in World War II.-Description:...
. The LC/31 mounting was triaxially-stabilized and capable of elevating to 80°. This enabled the guns to engage targets up to a ceiling of 12500 m (41,010.5 ft). Against surface targets, the guns had a maximum range of 17700 m (58,070.9 ft). The guns fired fixed ammunition weighing 15.1 kg (33.3 lb); the guns could fire HE and HE incendiary rounds, as well as illumination shells. A number of various other anti-aircraft guns were also to be fitted, but the details were not determined before the class was canceled. The ships were also armed with an unknown number of 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes.
The D class ships used steel manufactured by Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
for their armor. The ships' upper deck armor was 35 mm (1.4 in) thick. The main armored deck was 70 mm (2.8 in) forward, 80 mm (3.1 in) amidships, and decreased to 70 mm towards the stern. The conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
was quite heavily armored, with side armor 300 mm (11.8 in) thick. The main armored belt
Belt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
was 220 mm (8.7 in) thick, and the citadel armor was 50 mm (2 in) thick.