Kriegsmarine H-class battleship
 

Since we have a operational Graf Zeppelin I was thinking about other "what if" ships that the Kriegsmarine might have had. I was wondering if there was any interest in the H-class battleships?

The H class was a planned class of battleship of the Kriegsmarine, to be built as a part of Plan-Z. The ships were given the provisional names H, J, K, L, M, and N. All six were to be commissioned by 1944, necessitating that construction began in 1939, the first keel being laid down on the 15th of July. However, by the 10th of October, construction was scrapped to make room for expansion of the U-boat fleet. In all, three were laid down out of the six planned, although none were completed due to material shortages arising from the outset of war. Had the class been built, they would have been the largest ships afloat, rivalling even today's nuclear-powered supercarriers in size. Several redesigns followed however; the final one (put forth in 1944) is outlined below:
General characteristics

• Displacement: 128,930 tons design, 139,264 tons fully laden
• Length: 1,133'
• Beam:169'
• Draft: 41'6" design, 44'4 fully loaded
• Propulsion: Unknown, but large
• Speed: 30 kts maximum
• Range: 20,000 nautical miles at 19 kts
• Armour: 15" belt, 13" deck, torpedo detonation plate around key sections
• Armament: Guns 8x20", 12x5.9", 16x105mm, 16x37mm, 40x20mm, also 6x21" torpedo tubes
• Complement: Unknown, but large
• Aircraft: 6

http://www.chuckhawks.com/hclass.jpg

http://www.german-navy.de/pics/smb/battleshiph.gif

http://www.german-navy.de/smb/scalem...h/history.html

http://www.chuckhawks.com/super_batt..._projected.htm

Any interest?

So it'd have been the "German Battleship Yamato", to put it that way?

It'd be nice to have, but the Germans already have a heavy ship (the Bismarck), so I don't really think it's necessary. So to be honest, I'm not that excited.

Hmm...

A 130,000 ton ship running at 30 knots? That would require quite an engine room, and even then it would maneuver like a supertanker. I can see why the Germans never built them: just one of them would consume enough steel to build a couple of thousand Koenigstiger tanks.

Personally, I would never discourage someone from modeling it - "the more the merrier," says I; :arrgh!: however, since I could never actually command it or even shoot at it, I would probably just use it as a static display in a harbor or naval yard rather than use it as an active unit.

Something of much greater interest to me as units I would shoot at in a campaign would be fully fleshed out UK destroyer classes, USS Wasp, various U.S. battleships (Washington, Nevada, etc.) that actually sailed in Atlantic waters, or U.S. Atlanta-class destroyer leaders (aka anti-aircraft light cruisers).

Pablo

Damn straight and well said.

There are only a select few people who can mod SH3... and fewer still who can build and import 3D models.

No one should ever discourage a modder... especially a new modder. These guys are the future here and they should be taken care of... no matter what direction they choose.

Treat them badly... and they will take their skills elsewhere and mod other games.

Treat them well and you may find that they astonish you in short order.

I'm definitely interested...

by all means someone could moddel it..i will NEVER discourage anyone from moddeling more moddelers the better IMO, however in my personal preference i would sooner have more targets to shoot at.

If it could be done i for one would be intrested just for the eye candy in port:cool: .
Also i would like to have more tragets for my torps.

I didn't at all mean to discourage SeaWolf IV from modding Silent Hunter III. By all means model and implement it, I'll be sure to put it in a single mission so I can see it battle it out with British battleships! I'm just saying that the ship's not #1 on my wish-list.

The H-44 was never ever considered for building. It was merely a design study to compare what would be needed to survive current new weapons of 1944, as was H-42 and H-43.
The last design for "H" that was done as a possible build after the war ended was the H-41. After that the personal where transferred to other areas more urgent.
The latter "designs" were studies by a small group for weapon analysis and nothing more.
The simple fact is no facility or harbor in Europe could accommodate such a ship.
That said it would be very cool for any such design to be made for SH3 as a “what if” like the Zep which was never completed.
I would prefer Admiral Scheer, Nuremberg or a County class CA but anyone willing to make the effort should do exactly what ever they want and we will be delighted to add it and be grateful for sharing it.


Wulfmann

Montana Class
 

It would be nice to see them big boys have at it :arrgh!: