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Here's another WI for WW II at sea: Raeder got approval for Plan Z from the Bohmemian Corporal in 1939, and apart from U-Boats and some destroyers, it was suspended almost immediately after war began (it was never formally cancelled). This would mean that Bismarck and Tirpitz would be started at the same time as S&G (1935), and both the Hipper-class cruisers and the Graf Zeppelin-class carriers would also be started about that time (the Germans did have the yard capacity, after all). So, assuming Plan Z is approved in 1937 instead of '39, how many ships can be finished by, say, 1941?

Doenitz, btw, wasn't happy with Plan Z, even though under Z he was to get his 300 U-Boats, but as Raeder told him, "We don't want to be a Navy of U-Boats."

It also means that Raeder may still have the clout to resist Goering taking over the Naval Air Arm-several U-Boat skippers were former Naval Aviators, including Reinhard Hardegen (U-123) of Operation DRUMBEAT fame.
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