Großer Kurfürst

13.11

Grosser Kurfürst

Battleship | Germany | Tier X

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points105,800

Main Battery

406 mm/52 Drh C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount4 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire2.07 shots/min.

Reload Time29 sec.

Rotation Speed4.5 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time40 sec.

Firing Range20.61 km.

Maximum Dispersion266 m.

HE Shell406 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.4 Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage4,800

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell38 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity810 m./s.

HE Shell Weight1030 kg.

AP Shell406 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage12,700

Initial AP Shell Velocity810 m./s.

AP Shell Weight1030 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

128 mm/61 KM40 in a turret10 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range8.3 km.

Rate of Fire15 shots/min.

Reload Time4 sec.

HE Shell128 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,500

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Secondary Armament #2

150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. L. C/34 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range8.3 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

AA Defense

128 mm/61 KM40 in a turret10 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second124

. . . Firing Range5.19 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount4 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second24

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

55 mm/77 Gerät 58 on a twin mount8 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second195.2

. . . Firing Range3.99 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount6 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second38.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed30 knot

Turning Circle Radius1 050 m.

Rudder Shift Time19.4 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range17.63 km.

Air Detectability Range14.93 km.

Battle Levels

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13.11

Grosser Kurfürst

Battleship | Germany | Tier X

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points105,800

Main Battery

IDS_PGGM148_420MM_48_DRH_LC_19404 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire1.88 shots/min.

Reload Time32 sec.

Rotation Speed4.5 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time40 sec.

Firing Range20.61 km.

Maximum Dispersion266 m.

HE ShellIDS_PGPA128_420MM_HE_KURFURST

Maximum HE Shell Damage5,000

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell41 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity800 m./s.

HE Shell Weight1220 kg.

AP ShellIDS_PGPA129_420MM_AP_KURFURST

Maximum AP Shell Damage13,500

Initial AP Shell Velocity800 m./s.

AP Shell Weight1220 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

128 mm/61 KM40 in a turret10 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range8.3 km.

Rate of Fire15 shots/min.

Reload Time4 sec.

HE Shell128 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,500

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Secondary Armament #2

150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. L. C/34 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range8.3 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

AA Defense

128 mm/61 KM40 in a turret10 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second124

. . . Firing Range5.19 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount4 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second24

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

55 mm/77 Gerät 58 on a twin mount8 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second195.2

. . . Firing Range3.99 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount6 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second38.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed30 knot

Turning Circle Radius1 050 m.

Rudder Shift Time19.4 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range17.63 km.

Air Detectability Range14.93 km.

Battle Levels

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X

Special

Grosser Kurfürst — German special premium Tier X battleship.

One of the last stages of a battleship design for the German Navy. The ship was fitted with triple main turrets designed at the outbreak of World War II. The project was developed based on combat experience and featured powerful torpedo protection, enhanced horizontal armor and more advanced AA guns.

Grosser Kurfürst, a long-time tech tree ship, was moved to the Armory for Coal on 16 February 2022, and replaced by Preussen

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
406 mm/52 Drh C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount	2.1	40	266	4,800	38	12,700		0	2,000,000
420 mm/48 SK C/40 on a Drh LC/34 mount	1.9	40	266	5,000	41	13,500		35,000	2,500,000

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Großer Kurfürst	105,800	19	400	4	10/4	10/8/10				0	3,500,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
FKS Typ 10 Mod. 1		0		0	2,000,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 167,600 hp	30		0	1,500,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5
Slot 6

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning: The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.

Sharing the name with one of König's sister ships, Grosser Kurfürst (translation: "Great Elector", from the title of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg) sat atop the German battleship line at Tier X. She lived up to her name when released as a tech tree ship, breaking the then long-standing stalemate of Yamato and Montana, by simply entering into the fray. She is now a Special ship in the Armory.

Subtlety is not Grosser Kurfürst’s forte because she is detected from 18.1km. However, due to her size she possesses an effective array of secondaries along with two pairs of guns — the same caliber as her predecessor Friedrich der Große — but with triple mounts with the same AB-XY configuration. Even Montana, which shares the same triple mount turret style and layout, will respect her for her heavy broadside. Even more, she can surpass the American battleship through barrel diameter, with her last gun upgrade being 420mm barrels still mounted in four triple turrets while still retaining the excellent traverse speed.

Grosser Kurfürst's bustling secondary batteries are one of the most powerful in the game. The large number of secondaries can easily blow destroyers out of the water. With upgrades and commander skills, Grosser Kurfürst’s secondaries can have a maximum range of a whopping 12.5km, and with the Improved Secondary Battery Aiming commander skill, a dispersion that can rack up secondary hit ribbons within seconds. As soon as enemy ships get into the range of Kurfürst’s secondaries, they will need an umbrella because of the rain of shells that can pump out thousands of damage within seconds. This results in enemy battleships with better performance at long range such as Conqueror and Yamato being more effective against Kurfürst than ships with poorer main battery dispersion such as Kremlin.

Her AA is fairly typical of other German battleships, with an adequate long range punch that sadly does not follow through as planes come closer to the ship itself. Planes that make it past the long range armament will have no trouble hitting her due to her large size and abysmal turning circle. Her armor is also typical of German battleship design, with a turtle-back armor scheme that will make citadeling her at close range near impossible. Her deck armor is also quite substantial at 50mm along the center; few cruiser HE shells can penetrate it.

With her large health pool — the second largest in the game — she will be able to weather a large amount of armor piercing rounds and keep on fighting. As per standard for German battleships starting from Bismarck, Grosser Kurfürst is equipped with the Hydroacoustic Search  to help detect incoming threats such as torpedoes and destroyers attempting to get close or vessels hiding in smoke screens.

However, despite her impressive offensive and defensive assets, much of it is a double-edged sword, helping or harming depending on the situation. Both of her guns are rather inaccurate at long range, becoming deadly only once they pass the mid range for battleships of ~12km. Her 406mm guns have a better reload rate than those found on Montana, but lack Montana’s super-heavy AP shells which hampers her penetration at range while also reducing her damage per shell. Her 420mm guns are not large enough to overmatch the 32mm bow armor most battleships or cruisers have at Tier X , and while she can match Montana damage per shell with the 420s, they have a longer reload time than the 406s (32 seconds versus 29 seconds, respectively). Additionally, her armor is not unbreakable as it may seem. Also the armor belt is actually among the thinnest at Tier X, topping out at 380mm. While she will almost never take citadel damage because of her turtleback armor, her massive size, and armor belt mean she will take higher-than-average normal regular penetration damage, making Adrenaline Rush almost compulsory for commanders. This is especially evident when considering Grosser Kurfürst's biggest flaw: her poor firing angles. Because of the amount of broadside Grosser Kurfürst has to show, she takes 10-30k salvos far more often than her contemporaries; the side benefit to this is that regular penetration damage heals back more than citadel damage when using Repair Party . At close range, the trade off is well worth it when Grosser Kurfürst takes a 10k-30k salvo while other battleships are destroyed in a single salvo right into their citadels.

Finally, her size also betrays her as she is remarkably easy to hit and has one of the largest turn radius out of all Tier X battleships at over a kilometer. While her rudder shift time is fairly quick, she is so long that she takes a while to actually begin responding to turns. Even with Hydroacoustic Search  active, captains should expect to sustain heavy damage when torpedoes are inevitably being sent at her if she is not already responding because of the aforementioned issues combined with her bad torpedo protection of 28%. Fire and flooding are also a concern, since they deal damage based on a percentage of maximum hit points, causing her massive health pool to work against her when volleys of enemy high explosive shells start fires and torpedoes cause flooding.

Grosser Kurfürst captains should expect to sustain heavy damage from all sources as she is large and easily visible from range, but she will give back better than she gets if allowed to close the range. Play to her strengths: she is not a sniping battleship, and belongs up close and personal where her peers have difficulty countering her armor scheme, large secondary battery, and rapid traverse of her guns. So, with her, you push when there is a chance during mid-late game.

Pros:

• Second highest health pool in the game.
• Very heavily armored, with thick deck armor and well protected extremities.
• The citadel sits below the waterline and is protected by a turtleback, making citadel penetrations from surface ships almost impossible.
• One of the heaviest AP broadsides for a Tier X battleship, equal to American counterpart Montana when equipped with the 420mm guns.
• One of the strongest secondary batteries in the game with good durability, shell volume. and the ability to penetrate 32mm plating without the use of the IFHE skill.
• Has access to the Hydroacoustic Search  consumable, with long duration and acquisition range

Cons:

• One of the largest ships in the game, very difficult to sail unspotted, evade shots, or disengage.
• Enormous superstructure, can be easily damaged and set on fire.
• Rather inadequate main turret armor for a brawling battleship
• Aft main turrets have very poor firing arcs.
• Fairly short main battery range, even shorter with her Unique Upgrade installed.
• Main battery HE shells have poor DPM and fire chance.
• Poor torpedo protection.
• The AA suite is fairly weak, especially at short range.
• Massive turn radius and slow rudder shift time.

Research

Unlike most Tier X ships, Grosser Kurfürst does not come elite. Upgraded main battery guns can be researched, which increase the gun caliber to 420mm and improve HE and AP damage, at the cost of reload speed. It is recommended to stay with the stock guns as they have better reload speed. Generally, as the biggest ship in the game, Kurfurst is already unable to react to quickly-changing conditions during battle well. The 406's are able to faster respond to threats, and also are useful for destroying enemy ships with that last shot before they are able to fire and kill off the Kurfurst.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Grosser Kurfürst are as follows:

• Slot 1: Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1  *
• Slot 3: Secondary Battery Modification 1
• Slot 4: Damage Control System Modification 2
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1 
• Slot 6: Main Battery Modification 3

In Upgrade Slot 2, the Special Upgrade Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1 is the preferred option for Grosser Kurfürst as it extends her Hydroacoustic Search  action time by 24 seconds. Damage Control System Modification 1  can be used to reduce the risk of fire.

In slot 6, the unique upgrade Improved Ammunition Hoists () gives a large boost to both main (-10%) and secondary (-15%) armament reload time, at the cost of -8% main battery maximum firing range. The range penalty from 20.61km to 18.96km is especially difficult. Use the Spotting Aircraft  consumable to counteract the negatives. However, in Ranked Battles Catapult Fighter  might be considered instead, since most maps tend to be smaller and CVs are often present.

Commander Skills

Grosser Kurfürst is often configured either for secondary power, or in a survival build. Secondary Build: Demolition Expert, Grease the Gears, Adrenaline Rush, Long Range-Secondary Battery Shells, Improved Secondary Battery Aiming, Emergency Repair Expert, Fire Prevention Expert. Note that IFHE is not required for the secondary battery due to the 1/4 HE penetration on German ships.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack			Defense
1	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type.	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance when firing at submarines. ★★	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party ,  Repair Party .	Emergency Repair Specialist -3% cooldown time of Damage Control Party  and Repair Party . ★★	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning about a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5 km.	Preventive Maintenance −30% chance of main armament, engines, steering becoming incapacitated +15% to HP of secondary and AA guns.
2	Grease the Gears +20% main turret traverse speed. ★★★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells. Base fire chance reduced by half.	Brisk So long as the ship remains undetected: +10% ship speed.	Vigilance +25% detection range of enemy torpedoes +7% damage reduction of Torpedo Protection System. . ★★	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★★	AAA & ASW Expert +15% continuous AAA and flak damage . +10% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −40% ship consumables reload time..
3	Super-Heavy AP Shells +7.5% AP shell damage −10% fire and flood damage received +25% fire and flood duration.	Long-Range Secondary Battery Shells +20% secondary battery firing range. ★★★	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★★	Basics of Survivability -15% repair, fire, and flooding duration. ★	Improved Repair Party Readiness −0.8% reload time of Repair Party each time your ship receives potential damage equal to 100% of the ship's base HP. After receiving 2M HP potential damage: +1 charge of Repair Party ..	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: •  +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. •  +25% continuous damage. •  +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament..
4	Furious 1st fire / flood   −10% Main battery reload time 2nd etc. (up to 5), each   −5% Main battery reload time	Manual Secondary Battery Aiming −10% secondary battery reload time. −10% secondary battery dispersion. When firing at a manually selected target: dispersion gradually improves from -25% to -50%. ★★★	Close Quarters Combat -10% reload time of main battery if an enemy ship is spotted within secondary range.	Emergency Repair Expert Damage Control Party  and Repair Party : +1 charge (each). +10% action time . ★★	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	Fire Prevention Expert -10% risk of fire. Three fires maximum. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Grosser Kurfürst can equip the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Repair Party 
• Slot 3: Spotting Aircraft  or Catapult Fighter 
• Slot 4: Hydroacoustic Search 

Spotting Aircraft  is recommended to alleviate the subpar main battery range. Comparatively, Catapult Fighter  will have limited effectiveness.

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Grosser Kurfürst comes with Default permanent camouflage and a set of permanent combat bonuses.

Signals

As a Tier X battleship, it is recommended to mount the following signals on Grosser Kurfürst: India Delta (), India Yankee (), Mike Yankee Soxisix () if a secondary build is used, and November Foxtrot (). November Echo Setteseven () should be used to defend against air attacks, and Sierra Mike () for higher speed can also be useful.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Charlie Kilo +5% ship HP; +2.5% squadron HP.	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration. ★	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★★★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy. ★★	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding.	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire.
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding.	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time. ★★	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts. ★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used. ★★★
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire . ★★

Gallery

• 

  Großer Kurfürst, after emptying her main barrels, supported by a fellow Großer Kurfürst and Prinz Eugen.

• 

  Großer Kurfürst and a friendly Baltimore provide long-range artillery support, while moving closer to the front lines.

• 

  Großer Kurfürst spearheads the push, the friendly Baltimore in tow, her starboard secondaries already ripping into an enemy ship.

• 

  As the vanguard of the team, Großer Kurfürst sustains heavy fire from several enemy ships, but her sheer armour and massive health pool keeps the momentum going.

• 

  Despite taking massive amounts of damage, Großer Kurfürst proves her tenacity, keeping the line of battle even in the midst of shrugging off a full torpedo salvo.

Historical Info

The Großer Kurfürst in game is a hypothetical "what-if" ship by Wargaming that combines various elements from several German battleship design studies after the H-39, some of them only preliminary concepts. The gun caliber options include the 40.6 cm guns of the original H-39 design as well as the 42.0 cm guns of the revised 1941 "Battleship H" (H-41) design. The secondary armament includes a hypothetical navalized 12.8 cm FlaK gun. The ship shares its name with the König-class battleship Großer Kurfürst.

Preliminary design for 40.6cm triple turret

Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939 and the German-Soviet Commercial Agreement in 1940. Soviet demands from the agreement include a substantial amount of German military equipment and technology, among them the incomplete Admiral Hipper-class cruiser Lützow, the plans to the battleship Bismarck, and preliminary sketches for a 40.6 cm triple turret. The incomplete Lützow was towed to Leningrad in mid-1940 in a less complete state than the Soviets had anticipated. In response to later Soviet orders, Germany did deliver eight 38.1 cm guns and six 40.6 cm guns for which the Soviets had requested drawings in August 1940. German engineers continued to work on Lützow until the termination of the agreements in June 22, 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa.

1940 Design Studies

In September 1939, only shortly after the first two ships of the 1939 "Battleship H" (H-39) design was laid down, work was suspended due to the start of World War 2. However, the Kriegsmarine continued to develop plans and design studies for new battleships. For instance, in early July 1940, Hitler ordered the navy to examine new battleship designs and how wartime experience might be incorporated. A study from this order was completed on 15 July, and contained several recommendations for the H-class ships, including increasing the freeboard and strengthening the horizontal protection. In order to maintain displacement and speed and accommodate the increased weight of the additional armor protection, the design staff drew up an informal design, known as "Scheme A" (H-40A). The design removed one of the main battery turrets to save weight; the propulsion system was also increased in power to keep the same speed as the original design. The original diesel-only system of the H-39 was replaced by a hybrid diesel and steam turbine arrangement. The staff also prepared a second design, "Scheme B" (H-40B), which retained the fourth turret and accepted a much higher displacement. This design also incorporated the mixed propulsion system. These studies were abandoned in 1941 after Hitler decided to halt further battleship construction until after the end of the war. The design staff therefore attempted to improve the armor protection for the H-class. The 1940 designs did not form part of the design chain that resulted in the H-41 through H-44 designs.

1941 "Battleship H" (H-41) Design

Bomb damage sustained by Scharnhorst in July 1941 provided the impetus for the effort to increase the horizontal protection for the H-class. The designers were confronted with a significant problem: any increase in armor could correspondingly increase the displacement and more importantly, the draft. It was necessary to maintain the full-load draft of 11.5 m of the H-39 design for operations in the relatively shallow North Sea. The only option that allowed the displacement to be maintained while armor thicknesses to be increased was to reduce the ships' fuel supplies. A 25 percent cut in range was required, which was deemed unacceptable by the German Naval High Command (Oberkommando der Marine, or OKM). It was eventually determined that since deep-water anchorages on the Atlantic coast were available, it would be permissible to allow the draft to increase. The initial redesign called for an increase of only 5,000 long tons (5,100 t), 40 percent of which was additional deck armor, the remainder being used for a larger-caliber main battery.

One of the most significant changes was the decision to bore out the over-sized 40.6 cm guns to 42 cm caliber for the H-41 design. The design staff determined that modifications to the ammunition hoists and loading equipment could be easily done and that the original turrets could be retained. The OKM was aware that the British had settled on a 40.6 cm gun for the proposed Lion class; the 42 cm gun would grant the H-41 design a significant advantage over these new adversaries. The ships' armament was otherwise unchanged from the H-39, apart from an increased number of 2 cm anti-aircraft guns, of which there were now to be 34.

The ships' main armor decks were substantially strengthened: the deck was increased in thickness from 120 mm (4.7 in) to 200 mm (7.9 in) and the sloped armor at the edges was thickened from 150 mm (5.9 in) to 175 mm (6.9 in). Wartime experience with the Scharnhorst class indicated that the torpedo-defense system was insufficiently strong to protect the H-39 design from underwater damage. Beam was therefore increased, with greater width added at the ends of the armored citadel to allow a greater distance between the side wall and the torpedo bulkhead. The stern section of the torpedo bulkhead was also strengthened structurally to allow it to better contain the force of an underwater explosion. A triple bottom was also included in the design, the first time a feature was used in a German warship design. The loss of Bismarck in May 1941 also influenced the design; two large skegs were added to the outboard shafts to protect them and increase support for the stern while in drydock. The rudder system was also designed with an explosive charge to detach the rudders in the event they became jammed.

The new design measured 275 m (902 ft 3 in) long at the waterline and 282 m (925 ft 2 in) long overall, had a beam of 39 m (127 ft 11 in), and a draft of up to 12.2 m (40 ft 0 in) at full load displacement of about 74,800 long tons (76,000 t). The increase in weight, while engine power remained constant, reduced speed to 28.8 kn (53.3 km/h; 33.1 mph). However, German naval constructors were not satisfied with the torpedo side-protection system, and a series of design changes were approved by Admiral Raeder on 15 November 1941; these included increasing the side-protection system depth from 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in) to 6.65 m (21 ft 10 in), increasing beam to 40.5 m (132 ft 10 in), and greater hull depth and freeboard at full load. These changes resulted in full load displacement increasing to 77,752 long tons (79,000 t) and maximum speed further decreasing to 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph).

As detailed design continued into 1942, the OKM planned to begin construction six to nine months after demobilization, initially at Blohm & Voss and the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel. Deschimag, which had been awarded the contract for "J", could no longer be used due to the increase in draft, which precluded travel through the shallow Weser. Following the completion of a new, larger dock at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven, work would also be done there. The increased size of the ships would have lengthened the building time from four to five years.

Further Design Studies (H-42 to H-44)

On 8 February 1942, Albert Speer became the Reichsminister for Armaments and Munitions and gained influence over the Navy's construction programs. Speer reassigned some members of the H class design staff to work on new U-boats and other tasks deemed critical to the war effort. The Schiffsneubaukommission (New Ships Construction Commission), intended to liaise with Speer and the OKM, was created and placed under the direction of Admiral Karl Topp. This group was responsible for the design work that resulted in the H-42 type, as well as the subsequent designs. The Construction Office of the OKM formally concluded their work on new battleships with the H-41 type and played no further role in battleship development. The Commission did not discuss its activities with Raeder or his successor, Admiral Karl Dönitz, or with other branches in the OKM. As the designs for the H-42, H-43, and H-44 battleships were purely conjectural, no actual work was begun. The German navy did not seriously consider construction on any of the designs, which were so large that they could not have been built in a traditional slipway. Indeed, the Construction Office of the OKM sought to disassociate itself from the projects, which they found to be of doubtful merit and unnecessary for German victory.

Historical Inaccuracies

• The dimensions of the Großer Kurfürst in-game is closest to that of the H-42 concept; however, the larger H-class studies did not appear to seriously consider the triple 40.6cm turret, which appears to be a separate development related to the German-Soviet Commercial Agreement (1940).
• The arrangement of the secondary battery is inconsistent with German battleship designs, as all H-class designs and studies had the arrangement of 6x2 15cm guns and 8x2 10.5cm AA guns.
• The depth charge airstrike aircraft in-game Kawanishi H8K never seen in service in the Luftwaffe

Historical Gallery

• 

  One of the 40.6 cm guns at Batterie Lindemann

• 

  One of the 15 cm turrets on Bismarck, the same type as would have been mounted on the H class.

Video

IFHE Secondary build explanation.

References

1. New Video: Armada - Großer Kurfürst - News - World of Warships
2. Dry Dock: Großer Kurfürst - News - World of Warships
3. Armada 2.0 - Großer Kurfürst - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
4. Dry Dock: Großer Kurfürst - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
5. https://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_16-52_skc34.php
6. https://forum.worldofwarships.eu/topic/107061-gro%C3%9Fer-kurf%C3%BCrst-secondary-build/

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.5.9.
• Introduced into the game as a researchable ship in Update 0.5.10.
• Update 0.5.12:
  • Reduced dispersion distance increased from 4 to 5 km.
  • Fixed display of anchor chains when switching the detail level.
  • Fixed display of shadows from rigging.
  • Fixed minor graphical artifacts of the model.
• Update 0.6.2:
  • Fixed error in Torpedo belt protection, now the protection value is always applied correctly.
• Update 0.6.8:
  • The range of the secondary battery was increased from 7 to 7.7 km.
  • Reload time of 128-mm secondary battery guns was reduced from 5 to 4 s.
• Update 0.6.12:
  • Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 17.79 km.
  • Detection range of the Arado Ar.196 C aircraft was increased from 4 km to 7 km in air, and to 8 km by sea.
• Update 0.7.3:
  • Added a special space camouflage "Alldestroyer". Camouflage can be purchased in the game client for 8,000 doubloons until the release of Update 0.7.4.
• Update 0.7.7:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures on the ship and camouflage.
• Update 0.7.10:
  • The range of the Hydroacoustic Search consumable was unified - 6 km for detecting ships, 4 km for detecting torpedoes.
• Update 0.7.12:
  • Fixed a bug with incorrect armor penetration. The armor penetration of 150 mm secondary battery HE shells was increased from 36 mm to 37 mm.
• Update 0.8.5:
  • Credit earnings increased by 5%.
  • Experience earnings increased by 5%.
• Update 0.8.7:
  • Fixed display of camouflage on main battery turrets.
• Update 0.8.10:
  • The effects of the secondary battery guns 128 mm L / 61 SK C / 42 were updated.
• Update 0.8.11:
  • The main battery dispersion ellipse was adjusted to that ​​of American and British battleships.
  • Fixed the models of secondary battery guns on the "Alldestroyer" camouflage.
• Update 0.9.3:
  • Fixed a bug due to which the detectability was calculated incorrectly when firing the main battery guns.
• Update 0.9.5:
  • Minor changes to geometry and textures.
  • Changes in the Unique Upgrade "Reinforced Main Armament":
    • The bonus that reduces the reload time of the main battery guns was reduced from 15 to 10%.
    • The penalty that reduces the traverse speed of the main battery turrets was removed.
• Update 0.9.6:
  • The value of the in-game turning circle radius was changed to 1050 m to correct prior discrepancy.
• Update 0.9.7:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures.
• Update 0.9.8:
  • Minor fixes to textures and geometry of the ship.
• Update 0.9.11:
  • Fixed geometry and textures of the ship.
• Update 0.10.0:
  • Increased accuracy of secondary battery guns.
  • The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 8.3 km.
• Update 0.10.4:
  • Fixed spelling of ship name in Port.
• Update 0.10.10:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship.
• Update 0.11.0:
  • Fixed animation errors on the Messenger of Oblivion permanent camouflage.
• Update 0.11.1:
  • Moved from the tech tree to the Armory and given the status of a Special ship, with a purchase price of 256,000 Coal.
  • If a player had the ship in their port when the replacement occurred, they were compensated 10,300,000 Credits (half the ship’s cost).
  • If a player had researched the ship's 420 mm main battery guns, they received a compensation of an additional 35,000 XP for this ship.
  • If a player had purchased the ship's 420 mm main battery guns, they also received an additional 2,500,000 Credits as compensation.
• Update 0.11.3:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship.
• Update 0.11.7:
  • Minor fixes to the model and textures of the ship.

Ships of Germany

Battleships