Q&A ยท 15:52-16:02

Why Mackensen is the better German fast-battleship starting point

Mackensen is the preferred First World War design basis for a hypothetical German fast battleship of the Second World War.

Question

Should a German fast battleship derived from a First World War design begin with Bayern or Mackensen?

Short answer

Mackensen is the better basis; Bayern carries design choices that make it a poorer fit for a fast battleship.

Notes

Mackensen is the preferred starting point for this counterfactual. Bayern is considered less suitable because of unspecified problems in its design.