Großer Kurfürst Bureau Project
Großer Kurfürst · Tier ★ · Battleship · Germany · 12 segments. Updated 2026-08-31.
Geopolitical Conditions
In the second half of the 1930s, the geopolitical situation quickly deteriorated. The whole system of international agreements that restricted naval construction was collapsing. After Japan refused to sign the London Naval Treaty in April 1937, the United States claimed that the North Carolina-class battleships they were building would be armed with 406 mm guns. The High Command of Kriegsmarine gave an order to design new battleships for the German Navy that would be significantly more powerful compared to their Bismarck-class predecessors.
Design Requirements
During 1937, the main requirements for new battleships were developed. One of the key issues was to determine what the main battery was going to be like. Fleet representatives considered 406 mm to be the optimal value, based on the information about the battleships of their potential adversaries. The engineers also insisted on the same caliber. Their suggestion was based on the possibility of building a balanced ship, the operation of which would not create many problems for the country's infrastructure. The new project was referred to as H-39.
Propulsion Plant
One of the tasks of future battleships was to maintain oceanic communications. The operational distance of these ships was of great importance, because refueling ships during raids was problematic. The maximum operational range without refueling was ensured by diesel propulsion systems, which Germany was exceptionally good at making. Having analyzed the drawbacks of diesel engines of Deutschland-class heavy cruisers, it was decided to install more advanced engines on H-class battleships with a power capacity of more than 150,000 hp.
Ship Layout
In the search for the optimal ship layout, the most important thing was the artillery arrangement. Placing the main battery in triple turrets was gaining more and more supporters. Installing quad turrets looked very promising, as this allowed for reduced weight and space. But eventually, German constructors made their choice in favor of twin turrets grouped at the ends, as per the linearly elevated scheme. This scheme was developed during World War I and, according to fleet specialists, had undeniable advantages in gun fire control.
Main Battery
In 1934, Krupp developed 380 mm guns, which later became the primary armament of Bismarck-class battleships. This is when the design of 406 mm guns of a similar construction was created. The experience gained when developing these guns was used to design H-class battleships. The turrets were developed simultaneously. The firing range, with a maximum turret elevation of 30 degrees and shell weight of 1,030 kg, was more than 36 km. Yet, by 1942, Krupp's company had more orders than it could handle and was only able to produce three 406 mm guns.
Ship-Based aircraft
In the 1930s, it had become obvious that battleships needed their own reconnaissance aircraft. Arado 196 was the main seaplane of the Kriegsmarine from 1939. This float monoplane with a powerful armament was actively used until the end of war. The air group of Bismarck-class and H-class battleships comprised four Arado 196s. Several modifications of this aircraft were developed, including the "aerodynamic" 196C, but none of them made it to the production line.
Secondary Armament
Apart from the primary armament, the artillery designs of future battleships included a wide range of artillery systems, starting from 20 mm AA automatic guns. H-class battleships inherited a distinctive feature of Scharnhorst- and Bismarck-class battleships, namely powerful secondary guns represented by twelve 149 mm guns. They were developed in 1928 and became the base of the secondary armament of Kriegsmarine heavy ships.
Armor Protection
A lot of attention was paid to the ship's armor. In this case, many things were borrowed from previous projects, which in turn, were based on design findings tested during World War I. Nonetheless, the armor layout of H-class battleships had its unique advantages: more powerful horizontal protection, an armor belt in the fore end plating, and additional transversal and fore-and-aft armor bulkheads.
Laying Down the Ships
By early 1939, the High Command of the Kriegsmarine developed the so-called "Plan Z" - a large-scale shipbuilding program that would return Germany to the list of leading naval powers. Six H-class battleships were among the ships that Germany planned to build, but only four shipyards in Germany were able to make hulls of that size. On July 15, 1939, the keel of the lead battleship was laid down in the shipyards of the Blohm und Voss company in Hamburg. It was followed by two more in Bremen and Kiel in September of the same year.
New Data
The construction of H-class battleships was delayed by the outbreak of World War II. The industry of Germany had to focus on other orders. This allowed to rework the project taking the newly gained experience into account. The analysis of the damage dealt to Scharnhorst-class battleships by British destroyers and aviation showed that the horizontal and anti-torpedo protection had to be improved. Studying the designs of French Richelieu-class battleships also provided food for thought, since their underwater hull protection was extremely well designed.
Prospective Armament
As the war continued, the science of engineering continued to move forward. The size and speed of aircraft continued to increase, which required more powerful automatic guns to oppose them. Installing secondary guns on battleships seemed like a waste of space and weight. These ships needed more powerful weaponry that could serve both as an AA gun and a secondary gun. In response to such requests, in the early 1940s, a 128 mm dual-purpose KM41 gun and a 55 mm automatic Gerät 58 gun were developed. They were intended to become the main AA guns of the Kriegsmarine.
Reworked Project
Work on the project continued until 1944. Based on the experience gained in wars at sea, anti-torpedo protection and horizontal armor were significantly improved, which increased the ship's displacement. To preserve the speed characteristics, her diesel engines could be replaced with more powerful and compact ones. In order to improve artillery, it was decided to bore gun barrels of 406 mm guns up to 420 mm. If the H-class battleship was ever built, it would have been one of the most powerful ships in the world.
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