wosung
Posts: 692
Joined: 7/18/2005 Status: offline
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These are probably counters to represent parts of a massive German naval build up plan, which was discussed in the German navy 1938/39. This "Z-plan" was formally adopted in spring 1939, as Hitler assured Raeder that he wouldn't be in need of the Navy until 1946. German sources themself differ in the figures for the Z-Plan, a sign for the typical megalomaniac, polycratic Nazi-planning. Note, that most Z-plan figures meant the complete navy around 1946, not only the additional ships. It consisted of the following ships: 6 H-class BB (ships H, J, K, L, M, N, with 40,6 cm main batteries) 4 BB (2 Bismarck, 2 Scharnhorst class) +3 CV (1 Graf Zeppelin, ship B [Zeppelin class], 1 Seydlitz [Hipper Class cruiser conversion, 18 A/c]) Additionally, during WW2 Kriegsmarine had contemplated completing the French carriers Joffre and Painlevé and converting the passenger liners Europe Potsdam and Gneisenau. 7-8 CA (Hipper, Blücher, Prinz Eugen, Lützow [1940 sold to USSR], Seydlitz, plus the 3 pocket-battleships Deutschland/Lützow [renamed on Hitlers' orders, "because Germany can't go down"], Scheer, Graf Spee) 13-24 light cruisers (new M-class ships M, N, O, P, Q,R, 7,800 tons, 35,5 kts., 8x150mm, 2x4 TT), 22-36 scout cruisers (there within: SP1-3: 6,300 tons, , 36 kts., 6x150mm, 2x5TT), 68-70 DD, 78-90 Torpedo-boats, 229-249 U-boats. So, the ship names, you listed, might be pre-planning fiction. Just laid down ships weren't christened. Derfflinger at least was the name of a German BC in Hippers squadron at Jutland. Sources: Conways' all the World's fighting ships 1922-1946, pp. 220-235. Cajus Becker, Das Bildbuch der deutschen Kriegsmarine 1939-1945, pp. 42-50.
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