KMS Graf Zeppelin (Flugzeugtrager A)

History of KMS Graf Zeppelin (Aircraft Carrier A)

Changing priorities during WWII dashed Nazi Germany's hopes of deploying viable aircraft carriers in combat. Germany planned two Graf Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers before the war in the 1930s.

Deutsche Werke was chosen as the main builder and the Graf Zeppelin ("Flugzeugtrager A") keel was laid on 28 December 1936. She was launched on December 8, 1938, and World War II was scheduled to begin the following September.

Like the rest of the world's naval powers in the 1930s, rearmament Germany aspired to have a fleet capable of performing multiple mission types, so this required an interconnected mix of surface warships and underwater assets managed by logistically conscious types Broadly balanced. With this in mind, Germany's military power can extend far beyond the limits of Germany's coasts and available seas.

This thinking led to the need for aircraft carriers to compete with the British and American designs of the time.

Graf Zeppelin, named after Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1938-1917) of World War I, but only 3/4 complete when World War II hit Europe again. The German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 marked the official start of the Great Conflict and immediately depleted Germany's naval resources. Such was the country's commitment to war that priorities often had to be shifted at the expense of projects such as Earl Zeppelin and her sister.

Although eventually launched, she was never completed or commissioned because the German Navy believed that as the war progressed, the larger fleet of U-Boots (U-Boot) had greater value. Confined to the waters of the Baltic Sea due to her participation in the war, Graf Zeppelin was sunk by her caretaker near Stettin in March 1945 due to a possible German surrender in 1945. The victorious Soviet Union eventually captured her and was able to raise the ship where she was - only to use her for weapons testing on August 16, 1947.

Her remains were found by workers from the Polish oil industry in July 2006.

Graf Zeppelin marked Germany's only serious aircraft carrier project in World War II. The group's second incomplete carrier, named Peter Strasser ("Flugzeugtrager B"), was scrapped in 1949.

Under the terms of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement signed with the United Kingdom in 1935, the allowable tonnage of the German Navy in relation to warships was limited (compared to the Royal Navy), with an allowable carrier displacement of 20,000 tons. German designers were not naturally good at aircraft carrier design, so the flaws were obvious in the first attempt, lacking the need for high speed, good protection and heavy weapons.

Good sea handling in high speed maneuvers is required and a long hull with reasonable freeboard has been designed and developed. The flight deck proved to be heavy, so extra hull bulges were added for strength and stability, and the flight deck stopped near the bow, like some contemporary Japanese truss designs (in fact, the Germans were influenced by the Japanese truss designs of the time) Impact).

The Germans increased the carrier's tonnage by about 50 percent during construction, but this was not questioned by the international community at the time.

Graf Zeppelin is designed to use many of the same qualities as foreign aircraft carrier types. She had a flat, continuous flight deck from bow to stern, with the island's superstructure anchored to the starboard side of the ship. The island also has integrated smoke funnels. The hull is very similar to other surface fighters with a tapered bow and rounded stern.

Three powered hangar lifts allow fighter jets to access the flight deck if needed. A pair of catapults will be mounted on the bow. Armor protection ranges from 3.9 inches on the belt to 1.8 inches on the flight deck. The main deck is covered with up to 2.4 inches of protection.

Installed power is a quad-gear steam turbine unit delivering 200,000 hp to 4 shafts under the stern. Brown, Boveri & Cie turbines are powered by 16 LaMont high pressure oil fired boiler units. Under optimal conditions, the carrier can reach speeds of up to 33 knots and a range of up to 8,000 nautical miles. Dimensions include a length of 861.2 feet, a beam of 118.8 feet and a draft of 27.10 feet.

The full-load displacement reached 34,088 tons. There should be 1,720 employees on board.

Mounted armaments include 16 x 150 mm SK C/28 guns, 12 x 105 mm SK C/33 guns, 22 x 37 mm SK C/30 guns and 28 x 20 mm FlaK for close range attack against incoming threats.

The Luftwaffe will consist of up to 42 fighter jets, including fighter jets and dive bombers. The naval version of the Messerschmitt BF 109 fighter was considered, as well as the Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bomber. Fieseler Fi 167 biplanes will be used for torpedo delivery missions. This mixture of aircraft was supposed to fill the hangars of Earl Zeppelin.

It should be noted that the Luftwaffe did not welcome the transfer of control of naval fighter jets to the German navy - a rivalry between many of the world's armed forces for decades.

Specification

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