I'm just working on a fiction project, supposed a short story, I was going to just use the Tirpitz but well I wanted to keep some of the events the same, so if the Germans had built a 3rd Bismarck-class BB, what would they have named it? Or is there any name that you think would suit the ship. It's just suppose to play the role of a flagship by ex-kreigsmarine who escaped capture and built a small navy, they run surprise attacks and ambushes against anyone. Thanks in advance.
Just look at proposed names for the H-Class battleships, all of which are speculation. Ludendorf(sp?), Hindenburg, Friedrich der Grosse, etc. Hitler proposed Ulrich von Hutten and Götz von Berlichingen Whatever name you use should not be tied to Nazi Germany though, like Deutschland or Grossedeutschland, because if they were sunk it would be a larger blow to German prestige.
Indeed the Pocket battleship Deutschland had already been renamed Lutzow for the very reason that nobody wanted to have to announce Deutschland Kaput on the radio
I would suggest Hindenburg. Heavy cruisers and up were named for historical figures, mainly generals due to the limited naval history of Prussia/Germany*. This was also true of battle or armored cruisers in the WWI era; the last capital ship commissioned into the Kaiser's navy was named Hindenburg. Hindenburg had been a revered figure in Germany and was the President who appointed Hitler Chancellor. Have to acknowledge that the demise of the airship Hindenburg might have soured them on the name though. * Deutschland was an exception, but when she was renamed it was for a Napoleonic era general, Ludwig von Lutzow.
And what such tales overlook is the sheer scale of the logistic effort needed to run even a "small navy"
Nah. The 7th carrier, Yonaga, was a super-Shinano carrier that was locked in an ice cave prior to December 7th attack. Freed 40 years later by her crew of now senior citizens, she proceeds to carry out her orders and attacks Pearl Harbor. The US improbably forgives the attack, and the Yonaga becomes the flagship of a new Japanese Navy. To make the carrier & prop planes relevant, the author contrived a Chinese anti-jet/missile satellite based laser network. For the enemy, the Missile East went full Jihad against everyone. Series went to 11 novels.
Names used: Deutschland-class battleships SMS Schleswig-Holstein (1908–1944) SMS Hannover (1907–1944) SMS Schlesien (1908–1945) Braunschweig-class battleships SMS Braunschweig (1904–1932) SMS Elsass (1904–1936) SMS Hessen (1905–1960) Bremen-class cruisers SMS Berlin (1906–1929) SMS Hamburg (1904-1927) Gazelle-class cruisers (3,033 tons, 10 × 105 mm guns) SMS Nymphe (1900–1931) SMS Niobe (1900–1925) SMS Thetis (1901–1929) SMS Amazone (1901–1931) SMS Medusa (1901–1945) SMS Arcona (1903–1945) Emden-class cruiser (6,000 tons, 8 x 150 mm guns) Emden (1925-1945) Königsberg-class cruisers (7,200 tons, 9 x 150 mm guns) Königsberg (1929–1940) Karlsruhe (1929–1940) Köln (1930–1945) Leipzig (1931–1946) Nürnberg (1935–1945) Deutschland-class cruisers (10,800 tons, 6 x 280 mm guns) Deutschland (1933–1948) Admiral Scheer (1934–1945) Admiral Graf Spee (1936–1939) Type 23 torpedo boats (923 tons, 3 × 105 mm guns) Möwe (1926–1944) Falke (1928–1944) Greif (1927–1944) Kondor (1928–1944) Albatros (1928–1940) Seeadler (1927–1942) Type 24 torpedo boats (933 tons, 3 × 105 mm guns) Wolf (1928–1941) Iltis (1928–1942) Jaguar (1929–1944) Leopard (1929–1940) Luchs (1929–1940) Tiger (1929–1939) Survey ship Meteor (1924–1945) Radio-controlled target ship Zähringen (1902–1945)