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mikebatzel · #55 (**permalink**) January 29th, 2008, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avatar47

Also, to respond to these 'Germany didn't have the naval tradition, it would take 3-4 decades to build up'. That's so ridiculous. 3-4 decades? maybe 3-5 years ok, but not 3 decades. IMO the Germans did a good job using the limited naval resources/technique they started the war with, and they could have improved upon that with more experience. Invading Norway gave them experience, so did Crete, so would a theoretical Malta, etc.

Three to Five years is simply not possible. Ok maybe a Z-plan times five is a little over zealous but times three would easily put Germany as an equivalent to the RN. I know This is incorrect but as of right now I have found six shipyards that built ships of cruiser size or larger just prior and after the start of war. Each shipyard shows that at least two ships this size could be built at one time(one only built one and another had three). I also broke down the approximate time to build and commission each type of vessel. When I multiplied this number by the number of ships built at one time I got 14-15 years just for the Z-plan and we know Germany wasn’t capable of that plan in it’s allotted time frame, as she just didn’t have the steel to throw at the project. While these shipyards are building up the KM other yards are still producing U-boats, minesweepers, patrol boats ect. When I thought these figures into the size I estimated the fleet would need to be(about 1000 ships to support 2200 transports) I got 47 years just to build the capital ships. Factoring in that my info is as yet incomplete I deducted 12 years to get a grand total of 35 years. Hence 3-4 decades.

Throughout this whole build-up, Germany and her allies are still at war. Germany still finds that N. Africa needs more troops to help the Italians. The U-boat number would most likely not be dropped for some time. Planes are still needed to fight the Battle of Britain, and the RN is in no mood to just sit by and watch the Germans build an invasion force. While one group of freshly built warships awaits the next round to be finished they are out on patrols and fighting battles with the RN.
The largest obstacle for the KM to now overcome is men and resources. Simply put Germany doesn’t have the steel for this kind of venture. Men can be found since there is no eastern front but there is no experience amongst its ranks and will fight poorly for a little while(1 year?).

Time to commission each type of ship:
Carrier: 4 years – I got this figure with two ships being launched after two years but neither was commissioned so I added an additional two years
Battleship – Around 3-4 years depending on size of the yard
Cruisers - this I got 3-4 years however as the industries gear up I decided on 2-3 as more likely
Pocket Battleships(is this the official term?) – Slightly smaller than a battleship with cruiser armor 2.5-3 years

Note: As my Research unfolds I will update this post . Am still looking into French shipyard use for the KM.

Quote:

I do agree however, that it would take, of course, 3-5 years to build said landing craft for a MAJOR amphibious invasion (ie UK). But again, this would have been still risky and there were better alternatives to bringing Britain to the negotiating table.

At least we can agree on some things

Mike