Victory at Sea Kriegsmarine fleet by Warlord Games

Victory at Sea: Kriegsmarine fleet

The German Navy had to be practically rebuilt after the First World War. Since Germany was forbidden from possessing capital ships and submarines, it first had to work around one clause of the Treaty of Versailles, then another, until a powerful naval force existed.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, there were relatively few ships and no aircraft carriers in service. There was never any prospect of matching Great Britain in terms of the number of ships, but the qualitative advantage of the proposed super-battleships could have made a considerable difference. In any case, the Kriegsmarine was not a navy designed to engage a large fleet in direct combat. Instead, it was a merchant naval battle force.

German capital ships were built according to principles proven in the First World War; internal compartmentalization and damage control measures made them very difficult to sink, while their efficient power plants ensured a good top speed, essential for a plunderer. Combined with excellent fire control—including radar—and large guns capable of utilizing it, these ships were extremely powerful weapons.

It has been said that Hitler never truly understood naval warfare; however that may be, the Kriegsmarine suffered from a lack of financial resources and equipment, as well as from the domestic policies of the Nazi leadership. Among its greatest detractors was Hermann Göring, who was constantly complicit in diverting resources to his Luftwaffe, to the detriment of the navy. Major warship projects suffered from constant interruptions and relaunches, as resources were allocated and then reallocated to other projects.

Finally, as the tide of war turned against Germany, Hitler abandoned his navy and transferred artillery originally intended for ships to the coastal fortifications of the Atlantic Wall. The Kriegsmarine continued fighting with dwindling resources. Submarines and destroyers remained a threat to Allied shipping until the end of the war.

The content:
- Scharnhorst-class battleship - Scharnhorst 1939
- Admiral Hipper - Class Cruiser - Blücher 1940
- Admiral Hipper - Class cruiser - Prinz Eugen 1940
- Admiral Hipper cruiser - Admiral Hipper 1939
- Königsberg - Class Cruiser - Cologne 1941
- Königsberg class cruiser - Königsberg 1940
- 1936A Class Destroyers x3
- Dive bomber aircraft - Junkers Ju-87 Stuka Flight x4
- Ship charts and damage reports
- Assembly instructions

Ships are made of Warlord Resin and are supplied unassembled and unpainted.