NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
"H"		525	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg	15.7.1939	---	---	suspended 9.1939, BU 11.1941
"J"		981	Deschimag, Bremen	1.9.1939	---	---	suspended 9.1939, BU 11.1941
"K"		264	Deutsche Werke, Kiel	---	---	---	cancelled summer 1939
"M"		526	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1939
"N"		982	Deschimag, Bremen	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1939

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	52643
Displacement full, t	65592
Length, m	265.8 wl 277.8 oa
Breadth, m	37.2
Draught, m	11.2 deep load
No of shafts	3
Machinery	12 MAN 9-cylinder double action diesels
Power, h. p.	165000
Max speed, kts	30
Fuel, t	diesel oil 9839
Endurance, nm(kts)	19200(19)
Armour, mm	belt: 300 - 230, upper deck: 85 - 50, main deck: 120 - 100, slopes: 120, splinter bulkhead: 30, bulkheads: 220, main turrets: 400 - 125, main barbettes: 365 - 240, secondary turrets: 100 - 40, CT: 385
Armament	4 x 2 - 406/49 SK C/34, 6 x 2 - 149/52 SK C/28, 8 x 2 - 105/60 SK C/33, 8 x 2 - 37/80 SK C/30, 8 x 4 - 20/65 C/38, 6 - 533 TT, 1 catapult, 4 seaplanes (Ar196)
Electronic equipment	4x FuMO 27 radars
Complement	2600

Standard scale images

Project history

6 huge battleships H, J, K, L, M and N had to became heart of 'Z-Plan', adopted by Hitler 1.1.1939. Their main role would be using as 'fleet in being' and valuable political instrument. Hitler wanted to get these 6 ships in six years, and a number of unprecedented steps were been taken: naval building program was accorded top priority over Luftwaffe and Army, full responsibility for the whole program was given to a single person, rear-admiral Fuchs, Blohm & Voss was chosen to have overall responsibility for design, construction, material orders and personnel requirements concerning all this class ships.

Using of diesels would given to ship giant endurance: 19200 miles at 19kts or 7000 miles at 28kts. Design had two weak points: obsolete underwater torpedo tubes, installed on warships at first time since WWI, and transverse seaplane catapult, installed directly under guns of "D" turret.

Owing to the outbreak of war 'Z-Plan' was cancelled, and work on "H" and "J" ships was ceased 10.10.1939. Later they were scrapped to provide metal and manpower for submarine building program. Further designs derived from "H" class led finally to "H44" project with 8 508mm guns and 141500t displacement.

5 ships of class of 6 were ordered ("H", "J", "K", "M", "N") but only two were laid. "L" would had been built by KMW Wilhelmshaven.

Ship protection

Main belt between end barbettes was 5m in height and had 300mm thickness at lower 3.65m part tapering to 170mm at upper edge. This thick part closed by 220mm fore and aft bulkheads fwd from fore and aft from aft barbettes. Fore part of main belt had 60mm thickness ending at stem (there was short 150mm part protected torpedo handling rooms), aft part of main belt had 90mm thickness and closed by 220mm aft bulkhead of steering gear compartment. Upper belt between end barbettes was 145-mm thick, its thickness decreased to 120 mm fwd from "A" barbette. Additional vertical protection consisted of 30mm longitudinal splinter bulkhead (between main and upper decks) and second inner 30mm bulkhead over main deck. Main 100mm deck protected citadel (its thickness increased to 120mm over magazines) and connected with main belt (1m above its lower edge) by 120mm (150mm over magazines) slopes inclined at 22° to horizontal. Lower 110mm deck extended from aft barbette ("D") to aft bulkhead of steering gear compartment, fore part of lower deck between "A" barbette and stem was 50mm. Upper 50mm deck was flat and connected with upper edge of upper belt, its thickness increased to 60mm over magazines, its thickness was 30mm outside citadel. Main gun turrets had 400mm faces, 220mm sides, 170mm rears and 180-130mm roofs. Thickness of barbettes changed from 365mm above main deck to 240mm under it. Secondary turrets had up to 100-40mm protection with 80-20mm barbettes. Torpedo protection was 5.4m deep and included 45mm (60mm abreast magazines) longitudinal bulkhead connected with splinter bulkhead. Fore CT had 350mm sides and 200mm roof, aft had 150mm sides and 50mm roof.