That's a good 'what if?'...

If the vessel had been completed in time for the outbreak of war, or at the least by early 1940, it would have posed an interesting threat.

But I think that the British would have fully realised this and would have spared no effort to destroy it, in much the same way as Bismarck .

Graf Zeppelin , as designed, would have needed good, close escort because her mix of armament was inappropriate ( 16 x 5.9" heavy guns as against 12 x 4.1" QF A/A ) rendering her extremely vulnerable to air attack.

If completed later in the war, the ship would have been easy meat for the RAF ; it would have become another 'threat in being' as was the case with Tirpitz .

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