Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:31:18-2:31:48

Could Germany buy Italian 15-inch guns?

Foreign guns are technically available, but Hitler's prestige politics make dependence on Italian capital-ship weapons unlikely.

German NavyItalian NavyNaval GunsNaval ProcurementScharnhorst Class Battleships
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Question

Could Germany buy Italian 15-inch guns for its battleships?

Short answer

Technically yes, but Hitler's prestige and preference for German-controlled designs make that solution very unlikely.

Notes

Buying Italian 15-inch guns is treated as technically possible in this counterfactual. The explanation offered for rejecting that option is Hitler's concern for prestige and the appearance of national self-sufficiency. Scharnhorst provides the example of a ship for which this alternative was not taken. The same criticism extends to the failure to seek Japanese advice on carrier design.