During the early 1920s, the
Reichsmarine began thinking about the ships they might build when the time came to replace their fleet's old pre-dreadnought battleships. Design work began in 1923, but stopped when the German economy collapsed in 1924. Admiral Hans Zenker, the commander in chief of the
Reichsmarine, ordered work to recommence at the earliest opportunity, and in 1925 three new proposed designs were added to the two that had been prepared in 1923.
The 1923 designs were designated I/10 (which was a 32-knot cruiser armed with eight 20.5cm/8-inch guns) and II/10 (which was a 22-knot, heavily armored ship armed with four 38cm/15-inch guns). The 1925 designs were designated II/30, IV/30, and V/30 and were all armed with six 30cm/12-inch guns. The later designs were differentiated from each other by their top speed and level of armour protection. What became known as the
Deutschland-class
Panzerschiffe or 'pocket battleship' evolved from the 1925 designs, although the main armament was reduced in calibre to 11-inch guns in order to avoid provoking an adverse reaction from the allies. (The Versailles Treaty did not stipulate any limit on the calibre of the main armament carried by the new ships, but it was felt that it was advisable to keep to the calibre carried by the pre-dreadnoughts that were being replaced.)
So what would the II/10 monitor/coastal battleship have looked alike?
The design was very similar that of the
Sverige-class Swedish coastal defence battleships ...
The Sverige-class coastal defence battleships as originally designed.
The Sverige-class coastal defence battleship Gustav V as modernised during the late 1920s.
... and of the Danish
Niels Juel as originally designed.
The coastal defence battleship Niels Juel as originally designed. She was completed as a training cruiser to a heavily revised design.
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