German battle cruiser SMS Ersatz Scharnhorst [1916]

Mackensen-class

Ersatz Yorck-class

Part of the Ersatz Yorck-class battle cruisers consisting of the Ersatz Yorck, Ersatz Scharnhorst and Ersatz Gneisenau, preceded by the never completed Mackensen-class and succeeded by the never realized O-class of the 1940s. The design of the Ersatz Yorck-class was used as basis for the mid-1930s built Scharnhorst-class battlecruisers. Building ordered under the War building program 1915 at the Blohm&Voss, Hamburg, Germany with yard number 246 but never executed while potential of workers was needed for other purposes.

Displacement 32,971 (design)-33.500 (normal)--37.400 (maximum) tons and as dimensions 227,8 (waterline) x 30,4 x 9,3 metres x 747 x 99.5 x 28,5 feet. The armament consisted of 4x2-38cm/15” L/45 quick firing guns, 12-15cm/5.9” L/45 quick firing guns mounted in casemates, 8-8,8cm/3.45” L/45 anti aircraft guns, 3-60cm/24” submerged torpedo tubes (1 bow, 2x1 broadsides) and 3 aircraft.  The Krupp cemented armour consisted of a 10/4”-30cm/12” thick belt, 3/1.2”-9cm thick deck with the turrets protected by 11cm/4.3” (roofs)27cm/11” (sides) and the secondary armament by 15cm/15.9” thick armour by the casemates and 7cn/2.8” thick splinter shields. The machinery consisted of 2 sets direct drive Parsons  steam turbines with geared cruising turbines which could be disconnected , 24 coal fired Marine single ended boilers and 8 oil-fired double ended Marine boilers delivering 90.000hp allowing a speed of 27,3 knots. Coal bunker capacity 788 (normal)-3.937 (maximum) tons and fuel oil capacity 295 (normal)-689 (maximum) tons resulting with a speed of 14 knots in a range of 5.500 nautical miles. Crew numbered in wartime 1.227 men.