Short history of the German navy between the wars.

[Shortround6]

This is a short history of the German navy between WW I and WW II to try and trace the evolution and thinking behind some of their ships and strategies.

First is the state of the German Navy as a result of the Treaty of Versailles.

The Germans were left with
8 pre-dreadnought battleships only 6 if which could be on commission at one time. 5 Braunschweig class and 3 Deutschland class, all of about 13,000 tons and the newest laid down in 1906. 4 11in guns and assorted smaller.
8 light cruisers (again with 2 in reserve) from the Gazelle and Bremen classes, largest was 3230 tons(?) and newest was laid down in 1903.
There seems to be a bit on confusion on the destroyers and torpedo boats. There were supposed to be 16 of each with 4 of each in reserve. However a few of the larger torpedo boats overlapped the destroyers in size. In any case there seem to have been 12 destroyers of 650-670 tons laid down in 1911-12 and 21 torpedo boats of 533-700 tons laid down between 1906 and 1911.
Some assorted minesweepers and like were allowed. NO SUBMARINES or AIRCRAFT.

What was truly crippling was a total manpower of just 15,000men on active service which meant they were incapable of coming close to manning the ships they were allowed.
The ships were pretty much worn out at the end of WW I and needed a lot or repairs/maintenance.

The Allies goal was to reduce the German navy to little more than a coast defense/security force.

The Germans began rebuilding as finances and ability allowed.
The light cruiser Emden was laid down in 1921 but took 4 years to finish. At 5600 tons she was little more than a warmed over 1917-1918 light cruiser but obviously a huge improvement over the small, slow, poorly armed light cruisers the Germans had been permitted to keep. Plus very few other countries were building new cruisers aside from completing WW I designs under construction.

1926 was a major year for the navy with the 3 K class cruisers laid down, nine 15cm guns in triple turrets they were among the first of the new cruisers but at 6650 tons they were still small. 1926 also saw the Mowe class of torpedo boats( or destroyers) laid down(6 of them) but at 924 tons they were small compared to other major navy torpedo craft but a big improvement over the worn out ships they had been using.

Under the Treaty of Versailles restrictions these are replacements, not additions.
1927-28 sees 6 more torpedo boat/destroyers of the Wolf class (933 tons)

The light cruiser Leipzig is laid down in 1928 and then the Germans really start pushing the boundaries of the treaty with the Deutschland, a supposed replacement of one of the old pre-dreadnought battleships.
Laid down in Feb 1929 Germany is pushing back and trying to become a player on the world stage and get invited to the different armament or disarmament conferences being held.
German strategy over part of this time is focused on Poland and her ally France. Britain and the US are thought (rightly or wrongly) likely to remain neutral in a future conflict. This is several years before the rise of Hitler.
The Sheer is laid down in June of 1931 and The Graf Spee in Oct of 1932, (the Spee won't commission until Nov 1936)
Germany does get out from under the Treaty of Versailles and is allowed to attend the 1932 Geneva disarmament conference. This conference, 2 years after the London naval treaty didn't accomplish much but Italy did scrap or place in reserve a number of her older ships. Since Germany did not sign the original 1930 London treaty she was not bound by it's provisions except that should Germany build ships outside the treaty limits the nations that did so were allowed to exceed the limits in response (not just against Germany)
The three German armored ships fall into hole in the treaty but Germany sticks to the treaty limits on the Nurnberg (laid down the beginning of 1934) and the Z1-4 destroyers laid down in 1935 (1625 tons)
The Germans lay down the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in 1935 but lie about actual size/tonnage. They also sign the Anglo/German naval treaty in June of 1935, which allows them to build up 35% of the size of the Royal Navy. They lay down the Hipper which is supposed to be a 10,000 treat heavy cruiser. The Z5-16 destroyers are within treaty limits

Now it gets a bit tricky as to what the Germans were willing to do to revel to the world at large. The 2nd London Navel treaty was walked out on by Japan, The British hoped to limit new battleships to 35,000 tons and 14 in guns but the treat allowed all kinds of exemptions and escalator clauses should any of the signatories be faced with enemies or potential enemies that were exceeding treaty limits in their own construction. Relations between Germany and Britain were not getting better.

Now some speculation on my part. had the Germans fitted the twins with six 15in guns (and finished them near the original time schedule) would the British have continued to build the KGVs as is or would they have changed to nine 15in or nine 16 in guns?

During the early 30s were the Germans still considering the French the Main enemy for their naval forces (rightly or wrongly).
The First German Subs are launched in 1935.

1936 sees the Prinz Eugen, Bismarck, Blucher and Tirpitz all launched, plus the Graf Zeppelin, the Seydlitz and the Lutzow. (8in cruiser)

That is it for major warships until 1939. Any of the 1939 ships were broken up on the slips.

At what point does the British navy become the primary enemy?

The Russians have one ancient battleship in the Baltic. The Marat.
The move by the Russians to 18cm guns on their cruisers may also be a result of an escalator clause.

 

[The Basket]

To my knowledge the Soviet navy was not part of any naval treaty and was so small as to be insignificant.

At the outset of the London Anglo German naval treaty, the main enemy of the Germans was France. Plan Z was the first time that there was concrete proof that the Royal Navy was the enemy. Although rivaling and defeating the British was a pipe dream from some German navy officers since Jutland.

The Versailles treaty was dead as fried chicken so the idea that the British would create a new treaty with the Germans was considered fair although other Versailles nations were not consulted. 35% meant the Germans would always have a weaker navy but also meant a free hand in naval construction. And then break the treaty anyway later when it suited.

The KGV was more to do with Japanese and nothing to do with the Germans. It was a sign of good faith that Britain would stick with 14 inch guns but it was depending on Japan signing and they never did. So Britain would deliberately make a weaker warship in the vain hope Japan would follow suit. When this folly was realized, it was too late and RN had to accept the KGV as is or have 2 years delay. Basing military design on hoping the enemy would follow suit was silly.

Versailles banned German submarines but the Anglo German navy treaty allowed Germans to build subs. So it was a dashed hope to put the Germans in a lower place but in reality was a driving force towards ww2. It meant Versailles was over and it was open season.

Had Germany started building Scharnhorst with 15 inch guns then it wouldn't have impacted the London Treaty as Germany was not involved and had a very weak navy. Even at it's height, Germany had a weak surface fleet out numbered and out gunned.