KM Ostereich (BC-1938)
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A further drawing for this series could have used the turrets removed from the
Konig class in rebuilding them to raiders, to provide the armament for another
pair of battlecruisers. To my mind these would be the most likely if for no
other reason than they would take eighteen months shorter to build and still be
more than a match for any Allied cruiser they might meet out on the trade routes
with their older, refurbished 12" guns. Utilising the older refurbished 12"
turrets took the pressure off the Germanic States armouries producing large bore
weapons that had had orders placed for sixteen twin turrets and thirty-two 16.5" guns for
the Scharnhorst Class battleships. One of the class was renamed from a German
Admirals name to Ostereich to give the Austrians a feeling of unity with the
rest of the Germanic States after the Anschluss.
In 1939 one of the first refits included radar for gunnery controller assistance
for the 12". More and more electronic aids were added right through the
lifetimes of these ships until virtually every size of gun had some electronic
assistance with pointing and shooting in the right direction as accurately as
possible.
Displacement | 26,500 tons std, 34,800 full load |
Length | 737 ft |
Breadth | 92 ft |
Draught | 29.5 ft |
Machinery | 2 shaft Steam Turbines and diesels, 130,000shp |
Speed | 31 knots |
Range | 18,000 miles at 18 knots |
Armour | 10" belt, 5.1" deck, 12" turrets |
Armament | 8 x 12" (4x2) 20 x 88mm/L56 (10x2) 24 x 37mm Bofors (12x2) 50 x 20mm (10x4 10x1) this is with refits to 1942. |
Aircraft | 2 |
Complement | 1450 |
Notes |
Admiral von Roon (1938) Ostereich (1938) |