An intact German High Seas Fleet after the First World War would still offer limited value to Britain and the United States. Both navies would probably inspect the more advanced ships and then dispose of them because their weapons, spares, training, and maintenance systems did not fit either fleet. An American South Dakota-class battleship would offer 16-inch firepower while remaining compatible with the US battle line, making a captured German hull an unnecessary burden. France and Italy would have stronger reasons to seek whole German classes that could form coherent divisions rather than isolated foreign ships. Keeping the fleet afloat could still delay naval-treaty negotiations by complicating the allocation and accounting of captured tonnage.
Notable Point · 38:43-40:34
Why Allied navies would discard captured German battleships
Even without the Scapa Flow scuttling, captured High Seas Fleet ships would struggle to survive in British or American service because they did not fit those navies' battle lines or support systems.