Graf Zeppelin

Armor Model

Overview

Realizing the necessity of building aircraft carriers for the upcoming war with Great Britain, Germany sent a group of experts to Japan to study the operational experience of ships of this class. In December 1936, the first aircraft carrier was laid down in Kiel, receiving the name Graf Zeppelin upon launch. However, after the adoption of the German fleet modernization program, the ship's construction was suspended. In 1940, the aircraft carrier's stem was changed to an 'Atlantic' bow, and in 1942, external bulges were added to the original design. Sea trials were scheduled for April 1943, but in February of that year, construction was halted again. Until 1945, the aircraft carrier was located in various Baltic ports. In April 1945, the ship was scuttled in Stettin due to the city's occupation by the Red Army. After the war, Graf Zeppelin was raised and subjected to comprehensive study in the USSR. There were plans to complete the ship, but they were ultimately abandoned, and the aircraft carrier was used as a target and sunk in 1947.