O-class battlecruiser
Line-drawing of the O-class battlecruiser concept.
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| Class overview | |
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| Operators: |
 Kriegsmarine
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| Planned: | 3 |
| Cancelled: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Battlecruiser |
| Displacement: | 35,400 long tons (35,968 t) |
| Length: | 256 m (840 ft) |
| Beam: | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Draft: | 8.02 m (26.3 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Range: | 14,000 nmi (26,000 km; 16,000 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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| Armor: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 4 × Arado Ar 196 seaplanes |
| Aviation facilities: | 1 × double catapult, 3 hangars |
The O class was a planned class of three battlecruisers for the Kriegsmarine (German navy) before World War II. Prompted by a perceived lack in ship numbers when compared with the British Royal Navy, the O class' design was born with the suggestion of modifying the P-class cruiser design with 380 mm (15 in) guns instead of 283 mm (11.1 in). The ships were incorporated into the 1939 Plan Z; while an aircraft carrier, H-class battleships and smaller ships engaged convoy escorts, one or more O-class ships would attack the merchant ships.
The O class' design reflected their intended role; a heavy main armament (six 380 mm guns in three dual turrets) for possible encounters with escorting 203 mm (8.0 in)-armed heavy cruisers, enough armor to defend against the same and nothing more, and a high top speed so that they could get away from slower but much better armored capital ships.
Even with the completion of the two Scharnhorst-class battleships and the construction of two Bismarck-class battleships, the German Navy had fewer ships than other European navies. This led to a decision in 1937 to build ships to an improved Deutschland-class design. After more than twenty designs were considered to meet the navy's specifications, one was chosen; it was designated as cruiser "P" (the "P" for panzer — German: "armor"). Under the original plan, twelve P-class ships were to be built. The ships were designed as cruiser killers that would have heavy enough armament and armor to take on light and heavy cruisers but enough speed to outrun battleships and battlecruisers.
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