D-class cruiser (Germany)
CG rendering of the D-class cruiser design
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| Class overview | |
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| Builders: | |
| Operators: | Kriegsmarine |
| Preceded by: | Deutschland class |
| Succeeded by: | P class |
| Built: | 14 February – 5 July 1934 |
| Planned: | 2 |
| Completed: | 0 |
| Cancelled: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Heavy cruiser |
| Displacement: | 20,000 tons |
| Length: | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Beam: | 25.5 m (84 ft) |
| Draft: | 8.5 m (28 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Turbines, 125,000 shp |
| Speed: | 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
| Armament: |
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| Armor: |
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The D-class cruisers were a pair of cruisers, classified as Panzerschiffe ("armored ships") by the Kriegsmarine. The ships were improved versions of the preceding Deutschland-class cruisers, authorized by Adolf Hitler in 1933. They were intended to counter a new French naval construction program. Displacement increased to 20,000 long tons (20,000 t), but Hitler allowed only increases to armor, prohibiting additions to the ships' main battery. Only one of the two ships was laid down, but it was canceled less than five months after the keel was laid. It was determined that the designs should be enlarged to counter the new French Dunkerque-class ships. The construction contracts for both ships were superseded by the Scharnhorst-class battleships.
The ships were designed as follow-ons to the Deutschland-class cruisers. In 1933, the rise of the Nazi Party brought Adolf Hitler to power in Germany. At the time, he opposed a large-scale naval rearmament program, but decided to allow limited construction to counter French naval expansion. He therefore authorized the Kriegsmarine to build two additional panzerschiffe (armored ships) to supplement the three Deutschlands. He stipulated that displacement be limited to 19,000 long tons (19,000 t) and the primary battery would remain two triple turrets mounting 28 cm (11 in) guns. Admiral Erich Raeder, the commander in chief of the Kriegsmarine, advocated increasing the armor protection for the new panzerschiffe and inquired about the possibility of including a third triple turret. It was determined, however, that a third turret could not be added to the ship and still remain within the 19,000 ton limit prescribed by Hitler.
The ships were designed under the contract names D and E, and designed under the provisional names Ersatz Elsass and Ersatz Hessen as replacements for the old pre-dreadnoughts SMS Elsass and SMS Hessen. The contract for the first ship, D, was awarded on 25 January 1934 to the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven. The ship's keel was laid on 14 February That month, the Kriegsmarine decided to alter the designs to counter the new Dunkerque-class ships building in France. Displacement was increased to 26,000 long tons (26,000 t) and a third 28 cm triple-turret was added. Construction on D was therefore halted on 5 July, and E was never laid down. The construction contracts were canceled and reallocated for the two battleships of the Scharnhorst class.
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