Großer Kurfürst

13.3

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

12345678910

13.3

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

12345678910

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.

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

Sharing the name with one of König’s sister ships, Grosser Kurfürst (translation: "Great Elector", from the title of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg) sits atop the German battleship line at Tier X. She lived up to her name when released, breaking the then long-standing stalemate of Yamato and Montana by simply entering into the fray. Subtlety is not Grosser Kurfürst’s forte because she is detected from quite a fair distance, with the largest detection radius of all Tier X battleships.

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, while the responsive turret traverse — among the quickest turret traverse speeds of Tier X battleships — can be made even faster with upgrades. 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. In addition, her bustling secondary batteries ensure that any enemy getting close enough for the guns to unload will be constantly whittled down, dealing heavy damage over time or outright destroying low health ships that get too close.

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 meaning that long range plunging fire from low caliber guns will have difficulty penetrating her. With her large hit point pool — the 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  consumable 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 and 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 ~11km. 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 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. At long ranges her deck armor is still not sufficient to stop plunging fire from other battleships from penetrating, meaning her citadel is relatively easy to penetrate at a considerable distance. Also the armor belt is actually among the thinnest at Tier X, topping out at 380mm. While she will almost never take citadel damage, her massive size and armor belt mean she will take higher-than-average normal regular penetration damage; 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 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. 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.

Pros:

• Like Montana, she possesses a heavy broadside than is capable of destroying ships in one volley.
• Fast at 30 knots.
• Extremely good turret traverse of 40 seconds before captain skills or upgrades.
• Very large secondary battery with range starting at 7.5km.
• Bow is heavily sloped with thick plating, only a lucky Yamato shell can penetrate it.
• Second largest health pool in the game, second only to Kremlin.
• Has access to German Hydroacoustic Search .
• Extremely durable; can endure severe damage to either close the gap or to get away to heal.
• Play style is similar to dreadnoughts; the closer she gets, the more dangerous she becomes.
• Citadel is turtle-backed and is also located under the waterline, making it extremely hard to hit at close and medium range.
• Very good shell velocity.

Cons:

• Very tempting target due to her being the biggest ship in the game; any decently accurate strike such as dive bombers or cruisers can reliably hit her
• Anti-aircraft suite is decent at long range, but mid- and short-range AA bubbles are weak and leave her vulnerable to enemy strike planes.
• AA guns are easily destroyed under sustained fire.
• Lowest range out of her peers at 20.61km.
• 420mm guns have a reload of 32 seconds, it is tolerable. But that extra 3 seconds could be costly.
• Decent rudder shift is marred by poor turning circle and long response time.
• Bow and stern deck armor is only 32mm, making it vulnerable to overmatch hits from Yamato and Musashi.
• German turtleback armor is vulnerable to plunging fire, making her extremely weak against a distant Yamato
• Huge superstructure allows for massive HE damage and is easily lit on fire.
• Turrets are poorly sloped so can be disabled by large caliber shells at close range.

Research

Availability of researchable upgrades for Grosser Kurfürst is as follows:

• Main Battery: Grosser Kurfürst captains are offered an intriguing choice of main battery guns: her stock 406mm barrels that reload in 29 seconds, or these 420mm ones that reload three seconds slower but have more damage per shell. The choice of which guns to mount is largely captain's preference; those looking to punish cruiser players more quickly will likely prefer the 406s, while those seeking the additional damage against enemy battleships may opt for the 420s.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Grosser Kurfürst are as follows:

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

Aiming Systems Modification 1 or Secondary Battery Modification 1 () are both extremely good choices in Upgrade Slot 3 , depending on whether captains build for secondaries or not. For Upgrade Slot 5, Concealment System Modification 1  reduces her detection range. With appropriate camouflage, she can choose when to engage the enemy or give a surprise shot to unnoticed enemy. Main Battery Modification 3 is the top choice for Upgrade Slot 6; the -20% loading time for secondary armament offered by Secondary Battery Modification 3 () is of little benefit, unless using a proper secondary build, and AA Guns Modification 2 () is only recommended for captains that intend to division with a friendly aircraft carrier (thus guaranteeing that they are paired up against an enemy carrier).

Another choice available to players is the unique Großer Kurfürst upgrade Improved Ammunition Hoists () from the Don't Come Close personal combat mission. This will give the captain a -15% to both main and secondary armament reload time, at the cost of -7% main turrets traverse speed and -8% main battery maximum firing range. It is advisable to use the Expert Marksman commander skill and the Spotting Aircraft  consumable to counteract the negatives.

Commander Skills

Großer Kurfürst is often configured either for secondary power, or in a survival build.

Secondary Battery Build: Captains who value their secondaries as an important source of damage should invest in Basic Firing Training, Adrenaline Rush, Manuel Fire Control for Secondary Armament, Advanced Firing Training and Inertia Fuse for HE Shells. This build will leave her commander with two Level 1 skills. It is recommended to use these for Preventative Maintenance, which will also protect her secondaries, and Priority Target. Manual Control for Secondary Armament is a strong skill in this build, but it only allows the ship's secondaries to fire at a single target at a time. Some captains will prefer this skill; others will not. Due to how overmatch mechanics work, Inertia Fuse for HE Shells helps her 128mm secondaries with the overmatch of most ships, including T10 BBs, who have a minimum of 32mm deck and plate armor, allowing her secondaries to actually damage to those armor parts. (With IFHE, 128mm can overmatch 41mm of armor and below and do damage. 48mm and below for the 150mm.)

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns. ★★★	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of main turrets, torpedo tubes, steering gear, engines. ★★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched. ★	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time.	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire.	Last Gasp Completely restores the engine boost for the last attack flight of the carrier's planes.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm. ★★★	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range.	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen.	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. +0.2% squadron speed for each 1% of total health lost. ★★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated.
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding. ★★★	Survivability Expert +350 ship HP for each ship tier. +15 aircraft HP for each ship tier.	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes.	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +10% to continuous damage from AA guns. ★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★★★	Demolition Expert +2% chance of HE shells causing a fire on target. +1% chance of rockets causing a fire on target. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire on target.	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament Tightens dispersion of shells from secondary batteries. -15% for Tier I-VI ships. -60% for Tier VII-X ships. Manually selected target only. ★★	Fire Prevention -10% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three. ★★★	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -1% chance of fire on target caused by shells <=139mm. -3% chance of fire on target caused by shells >139mm.	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +5% attack aircraft aiming speed. +5% torpedo bomber aiming speed. +10% dive bomber aiming speed.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% damage/sec. within the explosion radius of shells fired from long-range AA defenses. ★★★	Massive AA Fire Instantaneous Damage +100%. Priority AA sector cooldown +50%.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of all ships and aircraft. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Meh     Χ - Not recommended

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 

Camouflage

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 2 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce the accuracy of incoming shells.

Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Grosser Kurfürst with Type 20 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

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 () can be used if the player has selected an anti-air build, and Sierra Mike () for higher speed can also be useful. The various economic flags can also be useful.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation. ★	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. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.	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 .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

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 finalized design was approved by Admiral Raeder on 15 November 1941. The new design measured 282 m (925 ft) long at the waterline, had a beam of 39 m (128 ft), and a draft of up to 12.2 m (40 ft) at full load. The increase in weight, while engine power remained constant, reduced speed to 28.8 kn (53.3 km/h; 33.1 mph). 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.

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

https://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_16-52_skc34.php https://forum.worldofwarships.eu/topic/107061-gro%C3%9Fer-kurf%C3%BCrst-secondary-build/

Ships of Germany

Battleships