Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:22:35-1:25:22

Untested diesels and the cost of redesign

Alternative diesels would add development risk to a battleship programme already constrained by workers, factory output and competing demands.

German Battleship BismarckH Class BattleshipsKriegsmarineNaval Diesel EnginesNaval Industrial BaseO Class BattlecruisersShip DesignWarship Propulsion
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Question

Could the O-class V12 diesel engines be used for the H-class?

Short answer

They were an option, but their performance, production scale and integration into the larger design had not been demonstrated.

Notes

The proposed V12 diesels for the O-class were an option, but their suitability and production capacity had yet to be demonstrated. Using them for the H-class would require enough engines from industry and changes to the ship design. If rapid completion is the aim, a design close to Bismarck offers fewer departures from established practice. A larger hull would already take longer without adding new machinery and construction methods. Germany also lacked a reserve of trained shipyard workers, while its fully employed industries commonly worked two shifts and took time to reach three-shift wartime production. Competing bureaucracies added further difficulty to organizing the programme.