Q&A · 40:35-42:21

Why Plan Z battleships were an awkward raider concept

The Plan Z battleships resemble enlarged Bismarcks assigned to a commerce-raiding role that no longer suited their size.

Question

What do you think of the Plan Z battleship design?

Short answer

They were ambitious enlarged Bismarcks, but a ship that large was poorly matched to a surface-raider role and difficult for Germany to employ in a task force.

Notes

A capital ship of that scale is too conspicuous to operate like a Deutschland-class surface raider. It should instead work with a task force, yet Germany struggled to sortie and sustain such forces under British surveillance. Scharnhorst and the Battle of the North Cape show the practical danger of the concept.