The design baseline keeps the roughly 31-knot speed, 235-metre length, 30-metre beam, three-shaft machinery, and a standardized cruising range estimate. A carrier conversion would shed much of the battleship armor, while gun ships retain three turret positions. The plausible armament choices are triple 11-inch or twin 15-inch mounts because both reflect weapons Germany actually developed. The exercise deliberately stays close to historical technology so the counterfactual illuminates real constraints.
Chapter · 16:27-20:34
The Scharnhorst hull as a design baseline
Speed, dimensions, machinery, range, and turret geometry make the Scharnhorst hull a plausible shared basis for fast battleships and fleet carriers.