O Class Battlecruiser

O Class Battlecruiser

The O class was a planned class of three battlecruisers for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) before the Second World War. Prompted by a perceived lack in ship numbers when compared with the British Royal Navy, the O class' design was born with the suggestion of modifying the P class cruiser design with 380 mm (15 in) guns instead of 283 mm (11.1 in). The ships were incorporated into the 1939 Plan Z; while an aircraft carrier, H class battleships and smaller ships engaged convoy escorts, one or more O class ships would attack the merchant ships.

The O class' design reflected their intended role; a heavy main armament—six 380 mm guns in three dual turrets—for possible encounters with escorting 203 mm (8.0 in)-armed heavy cruisers, enough armor to defend against the same and nothing more, and a high top speed so that they could get away from slower but much better armored capital ships.