L 20 e α-Class
Germany's Ultimate WWI Battleship Fantasy (Pure Design Study) - Most advanced WWI battleship design, 4+ years development (1914-1918). 42cm (16.5-inch) guns (largest German WWI naval guns), 26 knots (fast battleship concept), 44,500 tons. "All-or-Nothing" armor (eliminated lower belt for speed). 42cm gun designed 29 Dec 1916, approved 11 Sep 1918—61 days before Germany surrendered. Zero construction: No keels laid, no materials ordered, no ship names assigned. Design evolved through multiple variants (L 20 → L 20a → L 20b → L 20e → L 20e α). Strategic absurdity: Design approved while Germany collapsing on all fronts. 42cm gun revived for Nazi H-41/H-42 (also never built).
Specifications
- Displacement (std)
- 43800 t
- Displacement (full)
- 48000 t
- Length
- 780.8 ft
- Beam
- 109.9 ft
- Crew
- 1350 (designed)
- Ships built
- 0 (pure design study)
- Commissioned
- None (never built)
- Decommissioned
- 1918 (design abandoned)
Performance
- Top speed
- 26 kn
- Range
- 5000 nm at 14 knots (estimated)
Armament
- Main guns
- 8× 42cm (16.5-inch) SK L/45
- Secondary guns
- 12× 15cm (5.9-inch) SK L/45
- Torpedoes
- 5× 60cm submerged
Armor & Systems
- Belt
- 350mm Krupp cemented (waterline only)
- Deck
- 80-100mm
- Fire control
- Designed similar to Bayern-class (not built)
In-Game
- Tier
- T6
- Game power
- 162.42
- Research cost
- 128,637
- Credit cost
- 113,694
Notable
- Largest German WWI naval guns designed (42cm/16.5-inch)
- First German "All-or-Nothing" armor scheme (eliminated lower belt)
- First German fast battleship design (26 knots vs Bayern 21 knots)
- 42cm gun designed 29 Dec 1916, approved 11 Sep 1918 (61 days before WWI ended)
- Design approved 11 Sep 1918, WWI ended 11 Nov 1918 (2 months later)
- 4+ years of design work (1914-1918), zero operational value
- 42cm gun concept revived for Nazi H-41/H-42 designs (also never built)