Reichsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven survived the closure of its imperial predecessor and later became a Kriegsmarine yard. Its output shows industrial capacity being rebuilt incrementally through fishing vessels, cargo ships, torpedo boats, training ships, and cruisers. The yard then progressed from Königsberg and Köln to the Deutschland-class ships, Scharnhorst, Tirpitz, and Type VII submarines. The figures given for the 18 December 1939 Wellington raid record twelve of twenty-two British bombers lost over the base. The class was an early rung in the industrial path to German rearmament.
Notable Point · 23:01-26:36
Shipyards as a bridge to German rearmament
The yards that built the Königsbergs moved from small ships and merchant work toward panzerschiffe, capital ships, and submarines.