Simultaneous with its approval of the
resumption of work on the Graf Zeppelin, the Seekriegsleitung also took some
concrete action to address the perceived need for additional carriers. The
incomplete hull of the heavy cruiser Seydlitz, on which there had been little
progress since late 1940, was selected for conversion into a carrier. The
superstructure was razed to the upper deck in preparation for erecting a hangar
and flight deck but, as with the Graf Zeppelin, all work ceased at the end of
January 1943. The hulk was towed to Königsberg and scuttled there in April
1945. The Kriegsmarine never commissioned a carrier.
Following the loss of the battleship
Bismarck in May 1941, during which British aircraft carriers proved
instrumental, and the near torpedoing of her sistership Tirpitz in March 1942,
the Kriegsmarine became convinced of the necessity of acquiring aircraft
carriers. Work on the purpose-built carrier Graf Zeppelin, which had been
halted in April 1940, was resumed in March 1942. The Kriegsmarine also decided
to convert a number of vessels into auxiliary aircraft carriers. Seydlitz was
among the ships selected for conversion, along with several passenger liners.
At the same time as construction of Graf
Zeppelin resumed, conversion work began on Seydlitz. The majority of the
superstructure was cut away, with the exception of the funnel, to prepare for
the installation of a flight deck and an aircraft hangar. In total,
approximately 2,400 t (2,400 long tons; 2,600 short tons) of material from the
ship was removed. The flight deck was to have been 200 m (660 ft) long and 30 m
(98 ft) wide. The hangar was 137.5 m (451 ft) long and 17 m (56 ft) wide
forward and 12 m (39 ft) wide amidships and aft. Her armament was reduced to an
anti-aircraft battery of ten 10.5 cm L/65 guns in twin mounts, two forward of
the conning tower and three aft, ten 3.7 cm guns in dual mounts, and
twenty-four 2 cm guns in quadruple mounts.
Seydlitz's air complement was to have
consisted of ten Bf 109 fighters and ten Ju 87 Stuka divebombers. The Bf 109
fighters were a navalized version of the "E" model, designated as Bf
109T. Their wings were longer than the land-based model to allow for shorter
take-off. The Ju 87s were to have been the "E" variant, which was a
navalized version of the Ju 87D, and were modified for catapult launches and
were equipped with arresting gear.
The ship was renamed Weser, but work was
ceased in June 1943, before the conversion was completed. The unfinished vessel
was then transferred to Königsberg, where she remained for the rest of the war.
On 29 January 1945, the ship was scuttled before the advancing Soviet Red Army
could seize her. The Soviet Navy nevertheless considered using the wreck for
parts to complete the cruiser Lützow, a sister-ship of Seydlitz the Soviets had
purchased before the outbreak of war. This was not carried out, however, and
the ship was broken up for scrap.
Displacement: Design: 17,139 t (16,868 long tons; 18,893 short tons)
Length: 216
m (708 ft 8 in) overall
Draft: Full load: 6.65 m (21.8 ft)
Armament: 10 × 10.5 cm guns 10 × 3.7 cm
guns 24 × 2 cm guns
Aircraft carried: 20 aircraft,
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