What battleship would you design for Germany in 1910 using available technology and infrastructure?
Short answerA faster König-type battleship with more boilers, four shafts, Parsons turbines, existing armament, and a target speed of at least 26 knots.
NotesThe proposed design keeps the existing guns and armour while enlarging the hull to accommodate more machinery. Kaiser and König provide alternative starting points, with a five-turret König-type layout preferred. Four shafts, Parsons turbines, and a target of twenty-four boilers could produce at least 26 knots, with 28 knots the preferred ambition. The hull would need to be longer and wider, with changes to its funnel arrangements. Cancelling the corresponding battlecruiser order could permit five or six fast battleships instead of four. British battlecruisers would then be the ships able to catch them, while facing a heavily protected opponent. Machinery offers the proposed route because new guns and improved armour would demand development money and compete more directly with the German army.