Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:14:50

Would 8-inch guns improve a Panzerschiff?

The panel considers the familiar argument that a Panzerschiff might have been more useful with a larger 8-inch battery rather than six 11-inch guns.

8-inch Guns11-inch GunsKriegsmarinePanzerschiffeWarship Design
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Question

If a Panzerschiff had eight 8-inch guns instead of six 11-inch guns, would the saved weight give it more range?

Short answer

The panel prefers the general idea of a larger 8-inch battery, suggesting nine 8-inch guns could be more useful than six 11-inch guns.

Notes

The panel prefers a nine-gun 8-inch battery to the Panzerschiff's six 11-inch guns. The answer proposes nine guns rather than the eight in the question. It does not calculate how much displacement the smaller guns would save or how much extra range the ship might gain. Hull volume, protection, and the intended mission would still shape the final design.