Was Germany already building warships before its large expansion?

Was Germany already building warships before its large expansion?

Yes. The earlier programmes were too limited to sustain major armament production or provide enough ships for a balanced navy.

Germany continued some construction under the treaty restrictions, including light cruisers and destroyers. These small programmes kept work going without preserving the full capacity needed for heavy armament and capital ships. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were laid down in May and June 1935, yet commissioning followed only in 1938 and 1939. Scharnhorst took about forty-two months from laying down to commissioning, compared with roughly thirty-three months for the larger and more complex American South Dakota. Limited facilities and supporting industry help explain the slower German programme.