KM Scharnhorst Class and KM Bismarck Sub-Class
Another pair of drawings from the Deutschland Revolution series.
German right of reply.
The French build the 16" Dunkerque class in reply to the Deutschland type
armoured ships. The real life Scharnhorst with 11" is now a dead design. The
Germans need to build something better to counter or at least match the French
giants.
The new German Scharnhorst class becomes a 16" battleship at 43,000 tons
standard displacement and 836x112 feet. Two pairs were ordered in 1934 and 1936
for completion in 1939 and 1941. Constant improvements were made to these ships,
the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau had only been in service a few months when they
were refitted with full Atlantic bows and funnel caps.
The second pair of German 16" battleships, Bismarck and Tirpitz, were very
similar to the original two ships, what set them apart was the introduction of a
true DP armament. The new 127mm twin turret mounting had been under development
since 1936. It was finally accepted for service in 1939, too late for S&G, but
fitted to the two new ships. Also the proliferation of 20mm guns had started on
German ships. These two were no different with single and quad mountings
appearing in all sorts of little nooks and crannies.
