How should Germany have designed Graf Zeppelin?
Short answerAn existing German hull form could receive a hangar, flight deck, deck-edge lifts, and proven foreign carrier-operating features.
NotesThe advice is deliberately practical: begin with a usable Scharnhorst- or Hipper-derived hull rather than a national clean sheet. Add the hangar, flight deck, and deck-edge lifts needed to move aircraft efficiently. Germany should copy proven British, American, and Japanese carrier-operating arrangements instead of reinventing them. Suitable catapults matter because launching aircraft reliably in difficult conditions is a core operational requirement. The design lesson is that an effective carrier comes from integrated operating practice as well as the dimensions of its hull.