Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 21:00-22:07

If Deutschland-class ships replaced German pre-dreadnoughts

Earlier German pocket battleships could push British cruisers and battleships toward greater speed and heavier cruiser guns.

Deutschland Class CruisersHeavy CruisersNaval Arms RaceQueen Elizabeth Class BattleshipsRoyal NavyWarship Design
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Question

What changes if Deutschland-class ships replace Germany's pre-dreadnoughts?

Short answer

They improve the German force, but also prompt the Royal Navy to raise ship speeds and pursue heavier 9.2-inch cruiser designs.

Notes

The Deutschland class would be superior to the pre-dreadnoughts it replaced, yet still too slow to escape every British capital ship. Its speed was close to that of the Queen Elizabeth class. If the Royal Navy recognized the threat before the war, it would probably seek faster ships and reconsider cruiser armament. One likely result would be 9.2-inch cruisers, perhaps including a more heavily armed Hawkins class.