Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 14:21-17:27

Scaling Scharnhorst for triple 15-inch turrets

A worked design estimate shows how turret geometry, hull form, magazines, and armor affect the size of a larger Scharnhorst derivative.

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Question

How large might a Scharnhorst-derived battleship become with three triple 15-inch turrets and a thicker belt?

Short answer

A rough estimate gives 244 meters overall and about 31 meters of beam; extra length matters more than a dramatic beam increase because the original hull was already broad.

Notes

The ship was an elliptical, already-beamy design, so the estimate adds about nine meters of length and roughly one meter of beam. The turret and magazine arrangement drives the dimensional change more directly than the extra belt armor.