The machinery starts with systems Germany had already built rather than a wholly new technology. The Deutschland-class cruisers used all-diesel propulsion, while submarines and torpedo boats supplied further operational experience. Königsberg and Leipzig combined diesel with steam, showing that German designers were already testing diesel cruising in larger surface combatants. These mixed plants are useful bridge cases because they show diesel's range promise alongside the space, weight, and fuel penalties of retaining two propulsion systems.
Notable Point · 12:55-13:35
Germany already had useful diesel-warship experience
The Deutschland class, submarines, torpedo boats, and the diesel-and-steam Königsberg and Leipzig classes make an all-diesel fleet less speculative than it first appears.