If the war continues, perhaps two or three H-39s could enter service around 1943 or 1944. German construction time does not freeze British, French, or American design work. Possible responses include Alsace, enlarged Lion concepts, and an imagined Montana variant carrying twelve 18-inch guns. The comparison sets H-39's eight 16-inch guns against an illustrative enlarged Lion with sixteen 16-inch guns. These are contingent possibilities, with different levels of design maturity. They are not presented as a list of ships definitely ordered and completed. The comparison tests H-39 against the fleet it could meet at its actual completion date.
Notable Point · 3:51:59-3:54:51
Late H-39 completion would meet a later generation of Allied ships
If H-39 enters service in 1943 or 1944, its opponents also gain time to develop larger capital ships.