german aircraft carrier german aircraft carrier lead ship class carriers ordered kriegsmarine aircraft carrier launched germany represented kriegsmarine attempt create balanced fleet capable projecting german naval power far narrow confines baltic carrier complement fighters dive bombers construction began december keel laid shipyard kiel named honor ship launched december complete outbreak world war september completed operational shifting construction priorities necessitated war remained baltic duration war germany defeat imminent ship crew scuttled outside stettin march soviet_union raised ship march ultimately sunk weapons tests north poland months later wreck discovered polish survey ship july design meters long overall beam maximum draft combat load displaced long tons ship propulsion system consisted geared turbines sixteen oil fired ultra high pressure boilers power plant rated shaft horsepower speed knots mph projected cruising radius nautical miles speed mph crew officers enlisted men plus flight crews ship primary offensive power aircraft complement carried aircraft designed dive bombers fighters torpedo bombers later construction process aerial complement reworked consist thirty removed altogether designed fitted guns defense surface warships number later increased sixteen anti aircraft battery consisted guns later increased guns guns ship flight deck protected millimeters steel armor thick armored deck located deck protect ship aerial attacks waterline armor belt thick central area ship construction cancellation november contract aircraft carrier later christened awarded shipyard kiel construction ship delayed working capacity needed occupied new battleship launched december work started december keel laid launched december 24th anniversary battle islands christened daughter ship namesake launching ceremony gave speech end complete projected completion middle september carrier borne wing formed luftwaffe composed squadrons equipped german conquest norway april eroded chance completing responsible defending norway long coastline numerous port facilities kriegsmarine needed large numbers coastal guns anti aircraft batteries naval conference hitler april admiral proposed halting work arguing commissioned end final installation guns need months original fire control system sold soviet_union earlier trade agreement hitler stop work order allowing guns removed transferred norway carrier heavy armament guns diverted july towed kiel remained nearly year storage depot germany hardwood supply germany invaded soviet_union june carrier moved time stettin safeguard soviet air attacks november german army pushed deep russian territory remove threat air attack returned store ship timber time met hitler detailed discussion naval strategy april aircraft carriers modern naval warfare demonstrated british carriers crippled italian fleet taranto november critically damaged german battleship prevented battleship attacking convoys bound russia march addition japanese carrier raid pearl harbor devastated american battle fleet december anxious secure air protection kriegsmarine heavier surface units informed hitler finished year months required sea trials flight training hitler authorization ordered work resumed carrier technical problems remained wanted newer planes specifically designed carrier use head luftwaffe replied german aircraft industry possibly complete design testing mass production aircraft instead proposed converting existing aircraft temporary solution newer types developed training carrier pilots resume converted carrier aircraft heavier versions land based predecessors required host changes original design existing needed modernization stronger necessary arresting gear flight deck elevators hangar floors required reinforcement changes naval technology dictated alterations installation air search radar sets upgraded radio equipment armored fighter director cabin mounted main mast turn meant heavier mast accommodate cabin added weight extra bridge fire control center new curved funnel cap shield fighter director cabin smoke replacing single mount guns quadruple guns corresponding increase ammunition supply improve overall defense additional hull preserve ship stability added weight german naval staff hoped changes accomplished april carrier sea trials taking place august year end chief engineer reassigned oversee completion planned getting inner shafts respective propulsion systems operational giving ship initial speed knots fast sea trials commence conducting air training exercises winter expected combat ready night august moored target allied air attack aimed war heavy bombers squadron dispatched german aircraft carrier carrying single capital ship bomb device shaped charge intended armored targets pilot unable carrier dropped bomb instead estimated position german battleship believed scored direct hit known record ship suffering damage bomb strike night december towed kiel placed floating drydock completion late january hitler kriegsmarine especially perceived poor performance surface fleet ordered larger ships taken service scrapped shortly relieved command replaced commander submarines admiral eventually persuaded hitler void order work new surface ships nearing completion halted including january major work ship ceased limited temporary work continued march april towed eastward finally water wharf miles stettin briefly docked years man crew attendance forces neared city april ship kingston opened flooding lower spaces settling firmly mud shallow water man engineering squad rigged vessel interior demolition depth charges order hole hull destroy vital machinery april soviets entered stettin commander squad detonate explosives smoke carrier funnel confirmed charges gone rendering ship useless new owners months come fate war carrier history fate germany surrender unknown outside soviet_union decades war soviets repair ship length time specified terms designated category ship classification required destroyed sunk deep water august instead soviets decided salvage damaged ship refloated march number western historians ship fate arose decades end war according german historian soviets raised scuttled ship towed route reportedly struck finland storm arriving broken scrap naval historians state ship towed stettin september arrived speculated sank ship tow according soviet records march decreed destruction german ships ship sunk sunk july august towed harbor days later final resting place subjected series controlled explosions shells series bombs test imitated exhaust funnel lesser bombs flight deck second series single explosion flight deck fourth fifth series imitated penetration bombs flight deck hangar deck gun battery deck levels bombs placed target decks imitate effects dive bombing remained afloat admiral ordered torpedo strike torpedo fired boat exploded anti torpedo penetrate belt armor torpedo fired destroyer penetrated unprotected hull section bow elevator sank minutes later discovery exact position wreck unknown decades july research vessel ship belonging polish oil company found meter long wreck north thought likely wreck rests depth surface wreck located began day survey wreckage confirm identity remote controlled underwater robots concluded certain
German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin