Английская Википедия:Ersatz Yorck-class battlecruiser
Шаблон:Use shortened footnotes Шаблон:Short description
Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship class overviewШаблон:Infobox ship characteristicsThe Шаблон:Lang class was a group of three battlecruisers ordered but not completed for the German Шаблон:Lang (Imperial Navy) in 1916. The three ships had originally been ordered as additions to the Шаблон:Sclass, but developments abroad, particularly the British Шаблон:Sclasss, led to the navy re-designing the ships. The primary change was an increase of the main battery from eight Шаблон:Convert guns to eight Шаблон:Convert weapons. Work on the first ship had already begun by the time the navy decided to re-design the ships, so the design staff was constrained by the need to use the material already assembled.
The name derived from the fact that the lead ship was intended as a replacement (German: Шаблон:Lang) for the armored cruiser Шаблон:SMS, lost to mines in 1914, and it had been ordered under the provisional name Шаблон:Lang. The other two ships, Шаблон:Lang, and Шаблон:Lang, were considered to be replacements for the armored cruisers Шаблон:SMS and Шаблон:SMS, both of which had been sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands, also in 1914.
As with the Шаблон:Langs, the three ships of the Шаблон:Lang class were never completed. This was primarily due to shifting wartime construction priorities; U-boats were deemed more important to Germany's war effort later in the war, and so work on other types of ships was slowed or halted outright. The lead ship, Шаблон:Lang, was the only vessel of the three to have begun construction, though she was over two years from completion by the time work was abandoned. The ship was broken up on the slipway and machinery that had been assembled for Шаблон:Lang was installed in the first four Type U 151 U-boats. Nevertheless, the work that had gone into the Шаблон:Lang design was not a wasted effort; when the design staff began work on the Шаблон:Sclasss in the 1930s, they used the plans for Шаблон:Lang as a starting point.
Development
The fourth and final Naval Law, passed in 1912, governed the building program of the German Navy during World War I. The Шаблон:Lang (RMA – Imperial Naval Office) decided that to meet the requirements set in the 1912 law, the Navy should construct one battleship and one battlecruiser every year between 1913 and 1917, with an additional unit of both types in 1913 and 1916. The RMA initially believed the war would be over quickly, but by early 1915, it had become clear that it would not be the case. As a result, it made the decision to use the prescribed construction program to replace the five armored cruisers that had been sunk in the first six months of the war with new battlecruisers, rather than lay down new battleships. The last three of these new battlecruisers were ordered to replace Шаблон:SMS and the two Шаблон:Sclasss, the former having been sunk by German mines in November 1914 and the latter pair being sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands the following month.Шаблон:Sfn As they were considered replacements for old ships, rather than as new additions to the fleet, they were ordered under provisional names as "Шаблон:Lang (replacement) [name of the ship to be replaced]".Шаблон:Sfn
The three vessels of the Шаблон:Lang class were to have been members of the Шаблон:Sclass, and initial funding for the ships was allocated on 21 February 1915. Admiral Eduard von Capelle replaced Шаблон:Lang (Grand Admiral) Alfred von Tirpitz as the State Secretary of the RMA on 16 March 1916, which led to questions in the RMA over the three ships. Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted the next group of battlecruisers to be equipped with Шаблон:Convert guns instead of the Шаблон:Convert pieces carried by the Шаблон:Langs. On 19 April, the Construction Department submitted several design proposals, including GK1, GK2, and GK3.Шаблон:Efn All three were armed with 38 cm guns and had a displacement of Шаблон:Cvt. This marked a significant increase over the Шаблон:Lang design, which displaced Шаблон:Cvt as designed; the bulk of the displacement growth was accounted by the heavier main battery, larger, more powerful engines, and additional boilers that provided a speed increase of Шаблон:Convert over the Шаблон:Langs.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:Lang (Vice Admiral) Reinhard Scheer, the commander of the High Seas Fleet, expressed his preference for GK2, the largest and fastest of the versions (with a top speed of Шаблон:Convert), during a meeting on 29 April. Some consideration was given to the idea that the new battlecruiser design should represent a merging of the battleship and battlecruiser types—what was later termed a "fast battleship"—a concept Wilhelm II had been pushing for years. The so-called "Шаблон:Lang" (large combat ship) would simplify construction and design work, but Шаблон:Lang (Rear Admiral) Georg Hebbinghaus, the head of the General Navy Department, pointed out that under the German Naval Laws, such a change would not be permitted and that the laws would need to be rewritten to allow the new type. Hebbinghaus nevertheless allowed that the design staff had some leeway in warship development that could be used to get around the legal restrictions.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
In a meeting on 12 August, Hebbinghaus stated that he wanted to build ships that were similar to traditional battleship designs, preferring survivability to offensive power; he argued that the Шаблон:Langs should be cancelled in favor of this new type, since they had been designed before the navy had any war experience on which to base them. Capelle stated that the last three Шаблон:Langs—Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, and Шаблон:Lang—and Шаблон:Lang if work had not proceeded too far along, should be reordered as a completely new design, GK6, which he submitted. This design called for a ship armed with eight 38 cm guns on a displacement of Шаблон:Cvt with a top speed of Шаблон:Convert. Scheer objected to the decrease in speed, and for the time being, Hebbinghaus's and Capelle's proposals came to nothing. Another meeting on 24 August concluded that all seven ships of the Шаблон:Lang class would be built as designed, the General Navy Department noting that they would "still undoubtedly represent a very valuable addition to the fleet in 1919."Шаблон:Sfn
Hebbinghaus again raised the issue of the main battery on 31 October, since by then it had become known that the United States Navy would be building the Шаблон:Sclasss, rumored to be armed with Шаблон:Convert guns, and that the British were arming their Шаблон:Sclasss with 38 cm guns. By this time, much of the construction resources of the German Navy had been redirected to the U-boat fleet, so the new ships could not be completed before 1920; as a result, the Шаблон:Langs would be inferior to the latest American and British designs. Hebbinghaus pushed for the battlecruisers to be armed with at least 38 cm guns, but preferably 40 cm or even Шаблон:Convert guns. By that time, Шаблон:Lang had been laid down the previous November, and was too far along to be converted, leaving the last three Шаблон:Langs as the only members available to be rearmed. The Construction Department accordingly rushed to redesign the vessels to equip them with 38 cm guns, but the work was hampered by the fact that the navy had already ordered the machinery and armor plate for the ships, and work on the materials had already begun. Indeed, Шаблон:Lang had already been laid down in July.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Design
During the re-design process, Scheer requested that the new ships have increased armament, armor, and speed compared to the first four Шаблон:Langs, but owing to the constraints imposed, only the armament could be increased, and the deck armor and speed had to be reduced slightly to keep displacement in check. Displacement rose about Шаблон:Cvt compared to the Шаблон:Lang class, with about Шаблон:Cvt of that increase being a result of the heavier 38 cm guns. The length and draft were also increased to keep the ships' speed from falling too much. Since the ships' propulsion systems had already been ordered, they were kept essentially identical to the original Шаблон:Lang design, although internal rearrangements allowed the boilers to be trunked into one large funnel rather than the two of the Шаблон:Langs, which conferred several advantages. These included a significant reduction in smoke interference with the spotting tops and additional room to move the tripod mast further aft, which reduced the risk of the mast falling on the conning tower in the event of battle damage and increased the field of view from the spotting top.Шаблон:Sfn
General characteristics
The Шаблон:Lang-class ships were an enlargement of the previous Шаблон:Lang-class ships. They were Шаблон:Convert long at the waterline, compared to Шаблон:Convert on the earlier vessels. Шаблон:Lang had the same beam as the earlier vessels, at Шаблон:Convert, and the same maximum draft of Шаблон:Convert. The ships were planned to displace Шаблон:Cvt as designed and up to Шаблон:Cvt fully laden. The Шаблон:Lang-class ships' hulls were to have been constructed with longitudinal steel frames with the outer plating riveted on. The hulls were divided into eighteen watertight compartments. The crew of the ship was to consist of 47 officers and 1,180 sailors.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Machinery
As with all German battlecruisers that had been built, the Шаблон:Lang-class ships would have been equipped with four sets of Parsons steam turbines,Шаблон:Sfn each of which drove a 3-bladed screw that was Шаблон:Convert in diameter. The turbines were supplied with steam by 24 coal-fired Schulz-Thornycroft single-ended boilers and 8 oil-fired Schulz-Thornycroft double-ended boilers. Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang were intended to use Föttinger fluid transmission for their turbines, while Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s turbines retained direct coupled geared transmissions. The ships were to have electrical power provided by diesel generators. The Шаблон:Langs were intended to mount a pair of rudders side by side for steering.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The power plant was rated Шаблон:Convert and 295 revolutions per minute, the same as the preceding Шаблон:Lang-class ships. Their slightly greater size reduced their speed somewhat, from Шаблон:Convert in the Шаблон:Lang-class ships to Шаблон:Convert for the new vessels. The ships were designed to store Шаблон:Cvt of coal and Шаблон:Cvt of oil in purpose-designed fuel bunkers. However, the areas of the hull between the torpedo bulkhead and the outer wall of the ship were also used for fuel storage. This additional space provided an increased total of Шаблон:Cvt of coal and Шаблон:Cvt of oil. With fuel stores topped off, the ships were estimated to have been able to steam for Шаблон:Convert at a cruising speed of Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn
Armament
The Шаблон:Lang-class battlecruisers were to be armed with a main battery of eight 38 cm (15 in) SK L/45 guns in four Drh LC/1913 twin-gun turrets;Шаблон:Efn this was identical to the main armament carried by the Шаблон:Sclasss. In both designs the turrets were arranged in two superfiring pairs, one forward and the other aft. These turrets originally allowed for depression of the guns to −8 degrees and elevation to 16 degrees, though Шаблон:SMS had hers modified to allow 20 degrees of elevation, a common practice for German naval weapons during the latter part of the war. The guns had to be returned to 2.5 degrees to reload them. The guns had a maximum range of Шаблон:Convert. Each turret was fitted with a stereo rangefinder. Intended ammunition stowage for the Шаблон:Lang class was 720 shells or 90 rounds per gun; these were Шаблон:Convert shells that were light for guns of their caliber. The shell allotment was divided between armor piercing and high explosive versions, with 60 of the former and 30 of the latter. At a range of Шаблон:Convert, the armor-piercing shells could penetrate up to Шаблон:Convert of steel plate. The guns had a rate of fire of around one shell every 38 seconds. Muzzle velocity was Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The ships' secondary battery was to have consisted of twelve [[15 cm SK L/45|Шаблон:Convert SK L/45]] quick-firing guns mounted in armored casemates along the central superstructure. These guns were intended for defense against torpedo boats, and were supplied with a total of 2,240 shells. The guns could engage targets out to Шаблон:Convert, and after improvements in 1915, their range was extended to Шаблон:Convert. The guns had a sustained rate of fire of 5 to 7 rounds per minute. The shells were Шаблон:Convert, and were loaded with a Шаблон:Convert RPC/12 propellant charge in a brass cartridge. The guns fired at a muzzle velocity of Шаблон:Convert. The ships were also to be equipped with eight [[8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun|Шаблон:Convert SK L/45]] flak guns in single pedestal mounts. Four were arranged around the rear superfiring main battery turret and the other four around the forward conning tower. The guns were placed in MPL C/13 mountings, which allowed depression to −10 degrees and elevation to 70 degrees. These guns fired Шаблон:Convert shells, and had an effective ceiling of Шаблон:Convert at 70 degrees.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
As was standard for warships of the period, the Шаблон:Langs were to be equipped with submerged torpedo tubes. There were three Шаблон:Convert tubes: one in the bow, and one on each flank of the ship. The torpedoes were the H8 type, which were Шаблон:Convert long and carried a Шаблон:Convert hexanite warhead. The torpedoes had a range of Шаблон:Convert when set at a speed of Шаблон:Convert; at a reduced speed of Шаблон:Convert, the range increased significantly to Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The ships would have been supplied with approximately fifteen torpedoes.Шаблон:Sfn
Armor
The Шаблон:Lang-class ships were protected with Krupp cemented steel armor, as was the standard for German warships of the period. The armor layout was identical to the preceding Шаблон:Lang class, which was itself very similar to the armor scheme on the preceding Шаблон:Sclass ships.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn They had an armor belt that was Шаблон:Convert thick in the central citadel of the ship, where the most important parts of the ship were located. This included the ammunition magazines and the machinery spaces. The belt was reduced in less critical areas, to Шаблон:Convert forward and Шаблон:Convert aft. The belt tapered down to Шаблон:Convert at the bow, though the stern was not protected by armor at all. A Шаблон:Convert torpedo bulkhead ran the length of the hull, several meters behind the main belt. The main armored deck ranged in thickness from 30 mm in less important areas, to Шаблон:Convert in the sections that covered the more critical areas of the ship.Шаблон:Sfn
The forward conning tower was protected with heavy armor: the sides were 300 mm thick and the roof was Шаблон:Convert. The rear conning tower was less well armored; its sides were only Шаблон:Convert and the roof was covered with Шаблон:Convert of armor plate. The main battery gun turrets were also heavily armored: the turret sides were Шаблон:Convert thick and the roofs were Шаблон:Convert. The 15 cm guns had 150 mm worth of armor plating in the casemates; the guns themselves had Шаблон:Convert shields to protect their crews from shell splinters.Шаблон:Sfn
Construction and cancellation
The contracts for the ships had originally been allocated while still members of the Шаблон:Lang class. Шаблон:Lang, a replacement for the armored cruiser Шаблон:Lang, was awarded to AG Vulcan in Hamburg on 10 April 1915. Шаблон:Lang, a replacement for the armored cruiser Шаблон:SMS, was awarded to Germaniawerft in Kiel, and Blohm & Voss in Hamburg received the contract for Шаблон:Lang, a replacement for the armored cruiser Шаблон:SMS. Work on Шаблон:Lang began with her keel laying in July 1916 under yard number 63, and the midship section of the hull had been assembled by the time the ships were redesigned.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The ships were never completed, primarily because by 1917, the shipbuilding industry had largely been diverted to support the U-boat Campaign, which had become the priority of the Navy. After 1917, work on Шаблон:Lang only took place in order to occupy dockyard workers who could not be employed on U-boat construction.Шаблон:Efn The RMA filed a report dated 1 February 1918, which stated that capital ship construction had stopped, primarily due to the shifting priorities to the U-boat war. As a result, the hull frames that had been assembled were subsequently scrapped on the slipway. Some material for Шаблон:Lang had been constructed, including the ship's diesel generators, which were subsequently installed in the first four Type U 151 U-boats Шаблон:SMU, Шаблон:SMU, Шаблон:SMU, and Шаблон:SMU. No work was done on Шаблон:Lang before the ships were cancelled.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Already in 1918, the design staff revived the Шаблон:Lang concept with a series of design studies that ranged from smaller counterparts to the British Шаблон:Sclass of "large light cruisers" to very large, Шаблон:Cvt battlecruisers armed with Шаблон:Convert guns. The design studies ultimately demonstrated that the type of ship that Scheer desired was impractical owing to the size limitations imposed by the German Navy's infrastructure, specifically the existing dry docks and the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal.Шаблон:Sfn Though the Шаблон:Lang-class ships were not completed, the design formed the starting point for the work that ultimately produced the Шаблон:Sclasss built by the Шаблон:Lang in the mid-1930s.Шаблон:Sfn
See also
- H-class battleship proposals – a series of battleship designs for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that were also cancelled.
Notes
Footnotes
Citations
References
- Шаблон:Cite book
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- Шаблон:Cite book
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- Шаблон:Cite journal
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
Further reading
Шаблон:Ersatz Yorck class battlecruiser Шаблон:WWI German ships
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- Cancelled ships
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