KMS Graf Zeppelin
In 1935, Germany's first aircraft carrier was ordered, and she was launched
as the Graf Zeppelin in December 1938. She was to provide the
commerce-raiding capital ships and cruisers with air cover, and would have
increased their potential for destruction considerably. A second ship,
provisionally to be called KMS Peter Strasser after World War I head of
the naval airship squadrons, was ordered the following year, but she was
canceled in 1940 to release shipyard capacity for more urgent work.
Unfortunately the Germans overreached themselves. They had no experience of
all the problems which had beset the early American, British and Japanese
carriers despite of intense research done by scientists and engineers in
smaller scales using modified merchantmen. But worst of all, the head of the
Luftwaffe, Hermann G�ring refused to allow his "empire" to be encroached
upon, having said anything that flied in Germany belonged to him, by
permitting the formation of a separate naval air force; even though the
short-landing Fi 156, the clipped-winged
Junkers Ju 87C and
Messerschmitt Me 109T
were ready. The result was that the Navy had to try to persuade the
Luftwaffe to part with a small number of aircraft, and the wrangling went on
until there was no hope of getting a carrier to sea.
Although the Graf Zeppelin had some advanced features she displayed
her designers' lack of experience. The heavy surface armament was of little
use and accounted for too much weight; the anti-aircraft armament was heavy
but badly sited, all on the starboard side; the radius of action was low for
a fleet carrier intended to operate with the capital ships on the Atlantic
shipping routes.
The wrangles over aircraft were matched by arguments over the equipment of
the ship, and construction was suspended in 1940. Work started on a revised
design in 1942 but was stopped in 1943. The catapults were fitted partly on
the flight deck when construction was ceased but they were never completed
and eventually destroyed by a special German crew on 25 April 1945 when the
hull was scuttled at Stettin. The ship was reported to be listing to the
starboard with heel about 0.5 degree after scuttling. After Germany's
surrender the Russians raised it. Loaded with booty and with her hangars
full of sections of U-boats and other bulky items, she left Stettin in tow
for Leningrad in August 1947. Afterwards, she was renamed by the Russians as "PO-101"
(this designation means F(loating) B(ase) No. 101). The ship was further
towed to the naval polygon off Swinem�nde to be anchored as a training
target for Russian dive-bombers and torpedo vessels. The tests began on 16
August 1947, and the Soviets installed aerial bombs on the flight deck, in
hangars and even inside the funnel; in addition to bombs dropped from
aircraft and two 533-mm torpedoe-hits. In total the carrier withstood 24
hits scored by the Russians before finally sinking to the bottom: two
1000kg, two 500kg, three 250kg and five 100kg aerial bombs; four
180mm shells weighing 92kg; six bombs dropped by fleet dive-bombers; and
two 533mm torpedoe-hits.
| Click on one of the thumbnails below to view the full picture. | |
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Technical data and/or diagram of KMS Graf Zeppelin. |
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The still incomplete carrier idling in port. |
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The almost completed Graf Zeppelin with finished bridge and funnel. |
| The following photos and comments are contributed by Leonid Bashkirov, who also came up with the theory concerning the final fate of the carrier and the information in the data page of Graf Zeppelin. | |
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Graf Zeppelin scuttled at Stettin, Monne Channel, Oder, 25 April 1945. (With comments by Leonid Bashkirov.) |
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Graf Zeppelin just before being launched at Deutsche Werke, Kiel, stock No. 1, on 8 December 1938. The past hull No. 252 was christened by countess Hella von Brandenstein-Zeppelin, Graf Zeppelin's daughter. Note the carrier's bow shape -- it had not been converted into the Atlantic-bow (Clipper-bug in German) yet. |
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A shot of Graf Zeppelin at Stettin, 1945. The rapid lines of the ship's silhouette are clearly visible. What a great design... |
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A beautiful port view of Graf Zeppelin in harbor (Gottnhafen?). She seems to be cocooned with camouflage nets (note those strange shadows over the funnel) and the port buildings make her huge dimensions obvious. This is one of the most splendid shots of Graf Zeppelin. |
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Graf Zeppelin under tow into Gotenhafen (perhaps 6 July 1940). Note the tall inclined aerial mast just before funnel (from the stern). |
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This photo is usually considered as the last shot of Graf Zeppelin of 7 April 1947 at Swinem�nde. This is not true because she was towed there on 14 August 1947 -- right after her raising at Stettin. |
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Another shot of Graf Zeppelin, scuttled at Stettin in 1945. |
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