The Kriegsmarine had to be practically rebuilt after the First World War. Banned from owning capital ships and submarines, Germany nibbled away first one clause of the Versailles Treaty, then another, until a mighty naval power existed.
When World War II broke out, there were relatively few capital ships in service and no aircraft carriers. There was never any prospect of reaching Britain in terms of capital ship numbers, but the qualitative advantage of the proposed super battleships might have made a significant difference. In any case, the Kriegsmarine was not a navy designed to attack a large fleet head-on in naval engagements. Instead, it was a merchant raiding force.
German capital ships were built on principles tried and tested in World War I; Internal containment and damage control measures made her very difficult to sink, while her efficient power plants ensured a good top speed, essential for a raider. Coupled with excellent fire control - by radar and other means - and large cannons to deploy them, these ships were extremely powerful weapons.
It has been said that Hitler never really understood naval warfare; Be that as it may, the Kriegsmarine suffered from a lack of money and material, as well as from the internal politics of the Nazi leadership. One of their greatest critics was Herman Goering, who constantly sought to ensure that resources were poured into his Luftwaffe to the detriment of the Navy. Large warship projects suffered from constant stops and starts as resources were allocated and then reallocated to other projects.
When the war finally turned against Germany, Hitler abandoned his navy and moved guns originally intended for ships to the coastal defenses of the Atlantic Wall. The Kriegsmarine continued to fight with dwindling resources. U-boats and destroyers remained a threat to Allied shipping until the end of the war.
Contents:
- Scharnhorst-class battleship - Scharnhorst 1939
- Admiral Hipper class cruiser - Blücher 1940
- Admiral Hipper class cruiser - Prinz Eugen 1940
- Admiral Hipper class cruiser - Admiral Hipper 1939
- Königsberg-class cruiser - Cologne 1941
- Königsberg-class cruiser - Königsberg 1940
- 1936A class destroyer x3
- Dive Fighters - Junker Ju-87 Stuka Flight x4 Flights
- Ship Cards and Damage Controls
- assembly instructions
Ships are in Resin and Warlord Resin
- Warlord Games: Victory at Sea
