In the mid 1920’s the Reichsmarine was able to replace its obsolete ships. The designs of the warships Adolf Hitler would inherit were those approved by Vice-Admiral Hans Zenker, the Reichsmarine’s commander from 1924 to 1928. These included the 6 K class light cruisers, as well as the revolutionary panzerschiffe. The panzerschiffe were dubbed treaty cruiser killers by many foreign observers, but Zenker knew their limitations and intended them merely as commerce raiders, to be used against the sea lanes that would connect France and Poland, Germany’s perceived enemies in future wars.
Zenker did have an idea for a treaty cruiser killer though. She was to mount 8 12 inch guns, 12 5.9 inch guns (in the same triple turrets of the new light cruisers), and she was to displace 17,500 tons standard, the minimum size for a capitol ship prescribed by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. She would have two triple torpedo mounts on deck, and at least a pair of twin mounts for use against aircraft. She would use steam turbines like the last imperial battlecruisers, instead of the diesel engines of the panzerschiffe design. This would mean greater speed, 34 knots, but less endurance. Her armor scheme would be the same as a panzerschiffe.
Two of these ships were envisioned, but they were reliant upon the Versailles Treaty being nullified. Zenker believed that if the Reichstag negotiated with Great Britain the main gun caliber could be increased from 11 to 12 inches, and the standard displacement for German ships could be increased from 10,000 to 17,500 tons standard. Ultimately this design never came to fruition. Zenker pushed too hard for a treaty so he could build these new ships and the Reichstag replaced him with Erich Raeder. When Hitler came to power he was able to negotiate the treaty Zenker had envisioned resulting in the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
This design closely resembles the German premium cruiser available in Navyfield, so I have given him the same name, Moltke. Here is the original plan, followed by my drawing.
![[ img ]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26209528/Zenkers%20Cruiser%20Killer.jpg)
![[ img ]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26209528/Schlachtkreuzer%20Moltke%201928.png)
![[ img ]](http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s458/waritem/SHIPBUCKET/SchlachtkreuzerMoltke1928correct_zpsbcc58cee.png)
![[ img ]](http://imageshack.us/a/img100/5668/moltkecorrections.png)
![[ img ]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26209528/Schlachtkreuzer%20Moltke%201928%20WIP.png)
![[ img ]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26209528/Schlachtkreuzer%20Moltke%201939%20WIP.png)
![[ img ]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26209528/Schlachtkreuzer%20Moltke%201944%20WIP.png)