Career
Ordered:	November 16, 1935
Laid down:	December 28, 1936
Launched:	December 8, 1938
Commissioned:	–
Decommissioned:	–
Fate:	Sunk as a target ship on August 16, 1947
General Characteristics (design)
Displacement:	33 550 tonnes
Length:	262.5 metres
Beam:	31.5 metres
Draft:
Powerplant	Geared turbines
Power:	150,000 kW
Propellers:	Four screws
Speed:	35 knots
Endurance:	14 816 km at 19 knots
Complement:	1,720 crew 306 flight personnel
Armament:	16 × Sk. 15 cm. 12 × Flak (10.5 cm) 22 × Flak (3.7 cm) 28 × Flak (2.0 cm)
Aircraft:	Complement of 50 10 Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters 20 Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers 20 Fieseler Fi 167 torpedo bombers

Graf Zeppelin was an aircraft carrier of the Kriegsmarine, named like the famous airship in honour of Graf (Count) Ferdinand von Zeppelin. It was Germany's only aircraft carrier during World War II. Its construction was ordered on November 16, 1935, and its keel was laid down December 28, 1936 by Deutsche Werke of Kiel. It was launched on December 8, 1938, but was never completed, never commissioned, and never saw action. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links War_Ensign_of_Germany_1938-1945. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the best known Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull wings, fixed undercarriage and siren. ... A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. ... The Fieseler Fi 167 biplane was designed as the prime torpedo and reconnaissance bomber for the new German aircraft carriers then in planning. ... A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with torpedoes, but they could also carry out conventional bombings. ... Four aircraft carriers, (front-to-back) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, supercarrier USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences. ... The Kriegsmarine (or War Navy) was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine. ... Graf Zeppelin, filled with abundant hydrogen, circumnavigated the globe. ... Graf is a German noble title equal in rank to a count (derived from the Latin Comes, with a history of its own) or a British earl (an Anglo-Saxon title derived from the Viking title Jarl). ... Zeppelin Ferdinand von Zeppelin Ferdinand Adolf August Heinrich Graf von Zeppelin (July 8, 1838 – March 8, 1917) was the founder of the Zeppelin airship company. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Deutsche Werke Aktiengesellschaft is the name of a German conglomerate known for the A-Werk Erfurt pistol, submarines, and other assorted weaponry. ... Kiel ( ) is a city in northern Germany and the capital of the Bundesland Schleswig-Holstein. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The ceremonies involved in commissioning ships into a military force are based in traditions thousands of years old. ... “Fights” redirects here. ...

Planning and construction

American identification booklet. Note that the data and drawing are incorrect.

In 1935, Adolf Hitler announced that Germany would construct aircraft carriers to strengthen the Kriegsmarine. The keels of two were laid down the next year. Two years later, Grand Admiral Erich Raeder presented an ambitious shipbuilding program called Plan Z, in which four carriers were to be built by 1945. In 1939, he revised the plan, reducing the number to two. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hitler redirects here. ... The Kriegsmarine (or War Navy) was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine. ... Erich Raeder. ... Plan Z was the name given to the planned re-equipment and expansion of the Kriegsmarine from 1935 onwards. ...

The Kriegsmarine has always maintained a policy of not assigning a name to a ship until it is launched. The first German carrier, laid down as "Flugzeugträger A" ("Aircraft carrier A"), was named Graf Zeppelin when launched in 1938. The second carrier — never launched — bore only the title "Flugzeugträger B", but might, if completed, have been called Peter Strasser.^[1] The Flugzeugträger B (Flugzeugträger is German for aircraft carrier) was the sister ship of the Kriegsmarines only launched aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin. ... Portrait of Peter Strasser in 1914, commander of the Luftschiffer German Airforce Peter Strasser (April 1, 1876 - August 6, 1918) Chief Commander of Germanys Luftschiffer airforce during World War I. He was the main leader of the Zeppelins command and in charge, operating bombing campaigns from 1915 to 1918. ...

A review of Hitler's conferences on matters dealing with the German Navy, the minutes of which were captured after the fall of the Third Reich, reveals his decreasing interest in the carriers. Marshal Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, was resentful of any incursion on his authority as head of the country's air power, and he frustrated Raeder at every opportunity. Within his own service, Raeder found opposition in Admiral Karl Dönitz, a submariner. Hermann Wilhelm Göring ( ) (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) was a German politician and military leader, a leading member of the Nazi Party, second in command of the Third Reich, and commander of the Luftwaffe. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

1941–1945

By May 1941, Raeder was still optimistic about the project and informed Hitler that Graf Zeppelin, then about 85% complete, would be completed in about a year and that another year would be required for sea trials and flight training.

Though Raeder continued to assure Hitler that the carriers would be built, the Admiral's battles with Göring became increasingly bitter. Göring showed his contempt for the naval air arm by informing Hitler and Raeder that the aircraft ordered for Graf Zeppelin could not be available until the end of 1944. Göring's delaying tactics worked.

Construction on the carriers had been fitful from the start. Flugzeugträger B was abandoned in 1940 and broken up. Worker and material shortages plagued Graf Zeppelin.

Prodded by Raeder, Hitler ordered Göring to produce aircraft for the carrier and under this pressure, the air marshal offered redesigned versions of the Junkers Ju 87B Stuka and the Messerschmitt Bf 109E, which were at that time being phased out of the Luftwaffe first-line squadrons. Raeder was unhappy, but he had to accept them or none at all (including Göring's insistence that the flying personnel would remain under Luftwaffe command). All this forced another delay in the construction of the carrier: the flight deck installations had to be changed. For the Prussian/German landowning classes, see junker. The name Junkers (IPA: /ˈjunkeɺs/) is well known in connection with aircraft, which were produced under this name for the Luftwaffe during World War II. In particular the Ju 87 Stuka and Ju 52 Tante Ju were common symbols of the... Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the best known Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull wings, fixed undercarriage and siren. ... Messerschmitt is a famous German aircraft manufacturer, known primarily for their World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262. ... The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the early 1930s. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Later in 1942 projects for naval aircraft included the Me 155 V2 and Ju 87E (navalized D version). None of the Ju 87E were completed. The Blohm + Voss BV 155 was a high-altitude interceptor aircraft intended to be used by the Luftwaffe against raids by USAAF B-29s. ...

By 1943, Hitler had become disenchanted with his Navy. Raeder was relieved at his own request and Dönitz, the submarine admiral, took the top naval post. Work on the then over 95% completed carrier stopped completely. All armaments were removed and transferred to coastal batteries in Norway.

As the end of World War II neared, the roughly completed carrier was scuttled in shallow water at Stettin (now Szczecin) on 25 April 1945, just before the Red Army captured the city. German battlecruiser Derfflinger scuttled at Scapa Flow. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Red Army flag The Workers and Peasants Red Army (Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия, Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya; RKKA or usually simply the Red Army) were the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918 and that in 1922 became the army of the Soviet Union. ...

Fate after the war

Stern view of a Graf Zeppelin model

Bow view of model

The carrier's history and fate after Germany's surrender was unclear for decades after the war. According to the terms of the Allied Tripartite Commission, a "Category C" ship (damaged or scuttled) should have been destroyed or sunk in deep water by August 15, 1946. Instead, the Soviets decided to repair the damaged ship. It was refloated in March 1946. The last known photo of the carrier shows it leaving Świnoujście (before 1945 Swinemünde) on April 7, 1947 (see picture). The photo appears to show the carrier deck loaded with various containers, boxes and construction elements, hence the supposition that it was probably used to carry factory equipment from Poland and Germany to the Soviet Union. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (726x1373, 961 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (726x1373, 961 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (756x1347, 785 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (756x1347, 785 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Soviet redirects here. ... ÅšwinoujÅ›cie ( ; German: ) is a town in extreme northwestern Poland, situated on the islands of Usedom and Wolin. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...

For many years no other information about the ship's fate was available. There was some speculation that it was very unlikely that the hull made it to Leningrad, as it was argued that the arrival of such a large and unusual vessel would have been noticed by Western intelligence services. This seemed to imply that the hull was lost at sea during transfer between Świnoujście and Leningrad. One account concluded that it struck a mine north of Rügen on August 15, 1947, but Rügen, west of Swinemünde, is not on the sailing route to Leningrad. Further north, in the Gulf of Finland, a heavily-mined area difficult for Western observers to monitor, seemed more likely. Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... Map of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania highlighting the district Rügen Rügen (Polish: Rugia) is an island located off the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the Baltic Sea. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The Baltic Sea The Gulf of Finland is an arm of the Baltic Sea that extends between Finland (to the north) and Estonia (to the south) all the way to the city of Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. ...

After the opening of the Soviet archives, new light was shed on the mystery. It appears that the carrier was towed to Leningrad. There, after unloading, it was designated as "PO-101" (Floating Base Number 101). The Russians hoped that the carrier could be repaired in Leningrad's shipyards (those in Stettin were destroyed). When this proved impractical, the ship was towed out to sea, back to the Polish coast. There, on August 16, 1947, it was used as a practice target for Soviet ships and aircraft. Allegedly, the Soviets installed aerial bombs on the flight deck, in hangars and even inside the funnels (to simulate a load of combat munitions), and then dropped bombs from aircraft, fired shells, and shot torpedoes into it. This assault would both comply with the Tripartite mandate (albeit late) and provide the Soviets with experience in sinking an aircraft carrier. By this point, the Cold War was underway, and the Soviets were well aware of the large numbers and central importance of aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy, which in the event of an actual war between the Soviet Union and the United States would be targets of high strategic importance. Hence, experience in sinking carriers by aircraft was much more valuable in 1947 than before 1945. After being hit by 24 bombs and projectiles, the ship did not sink and had to be finished off by two torpedoes.^[2] The exact position of the wreck was unknown for decades. August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ...

Discovery in 2006

On July 12, 2006 a ship belonging to the Polish oil company Petrobaltic found a 265 m long wreck close to the port of Łeba (a BBC report says 55 km north of Władysławowo) which they thought was most likely Graf Zeppelin. On July 26, 2006 the crew of the Polish Navy's survey ship ORP Arctowski commenced penetration of the wreckage to confirm its identity, and the following day the Polish Navy confirmed that the wreckage was indeed that of Graf Zeppelin. She rests at more than 86–87 meters (264 feet) below the surface.^[3][4] July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Petrobaltic is a Polish oil company that has received fame of late for discovering the lost Nazi Aircraft Carrier Graf Zeppelin. ... Łeba is the name of the river in Middle Pomerania, Poland, that goes to Łebsko lake and later on to Baltic sea. ... WÅ‚adysÅ‚awowo (Kashubian/Pomeranian: Wiôlgô Wies) is a town on the south coasts of the Baltic Sea in the Kashubia or Eastern Pomerania region, north-western Poland, with some 10,000 inhabitants. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Flag of the Polish Navy Polish Navy Ensign The Polish Navy (Marynarka Wojenna RP, MW RP) is the branch of Polands armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... A survey ship is a vessel designed to conduct hydrographic and oceanographic research. ... ORP Arctowski is a survey ship of the Polish Navy. ...

References

See also

• List of aircraft carriers
• List of World War II ships
• List of naval ships of Germany
• List of naval ship classes of Germany
• List of Kriegsmarine ships
• List of ship launches in 1938
• Flugzeugträger B - Graf Zeppelin's sister ship

The list of aircraft carriers contains all aircraft carriers listed alphabetically by name. ... The List of ships of World War II is an alphabetical list of major military ships of World War II. Only warships with a displacement of 1000 tons or greater are listed. ... The list of naval ships of Germany includes all naval ships which have been in service of the German Navy or its predecessors. ... The list of naval ship classes of Germany includes all classes of naval ships produced or operated in Germany. ... The list of Kriegsmarine ships includes all ships commissioned into the Kriegsmarine, the German navy of the Third Reich period, during its existance from 1935 to the conclusion of World War II in 1945. ... The list of ship launches in 1938 includes a chronological list of all ships launched in 1938. ... The Flugzeugträger B (Flugzeugträger is German for aircraft carrier) was the sister ship of the Kriegsmarines only launched aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin

• Graf Zeppelin images from Bundesarchiv Freiburg (text in German but lots of images})
• Maritimequest Graf Zeppelin photo gallery
• Aerial photos of the carrier taken in 1947
• "Divers find Hitler's aircraft carrier" - Article from Times Online, published July 27, 2006 (Roger Boyes)

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Coordinates: 55°17′00″N, 18°25′33″E The list of Kriegsmarine ships includes all ships commissioned into the Kriegsmarine, the German navy of the Third Reich period, during its existance from 1935 to the conclusion of World War II in 1945. ... The firepower of a battleship demonstrated by USS Iowa. ... HMS Hood (left) and the battleship HMS Barham (right), in Malta, 1937. ... The Bismarck class battleships were a class of capital ships built by Germany. ... The Gneisenau class were two large heavy-gun warships of the World War II German navy, the Kriegsmarine. ... USS Massachusetts, a pre-dreadnought battleship launched in 1893 The term pre-dreadnought refers to the last type of battleship before the British Royal Navys HMS Dreadnought (1906). ... Four aircraft carriers, (front-to-back) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, supercarrier USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences. ... The Schleswig-Holstein was a German battleship that fought in both World Wars. ... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ... The term heavy cruiser is used to refer to large cruisers, a form of warship. ... This article refers to the third German cruiser to bear the name Emden. ... The K class was a class of light cruisers of the German Reichsmarine and Kriegsmarine, consisting of three ships named after German cities starting with the letter K: Königsberg, Karlsruhe, Köln. ... The Leipzig class was a class of light cruisers of the German Kriegsmarine, consisting of two ships named after German cities, Leipzig and Nürnberg. ... The Deutschland class was a series of three panzerschiffs, a form of heavily armed cruiser, built by German Reichsmarine in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. ... The Admiral Hipper class was a series of five heavy cruisers of which three served with the Kriegsmarine of Germany in World War II, one was sold unfinished to the Soviet Union in 1939, and one was converted to an aircraft carrier but never completed. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... The Zerstörer 1936A class destroyers, or Narvik class destroyers as they were known to the Allies were a class of German destroyers of the Second World War. ... A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to launch torpedoes at larger surface ships. ... The Mowe class were a group of destroyers built for the German Navy in the 1920s. ... The Mowe class were a group of destroyers built for the German Navy in the 1920s. ... The Type 35 and Type 37 Torpedo boats were small destroyers or Flottentorpedoboot built for the Kriegsmarine between 1939 and 1942. ... The Type 35 and Type 37 Torpedo boats were small destroyers or Flottentorpedoboot built for the Kriegsmarine between 1939 and 1942. ... The Elbing class torpedo boats (or Flottentorpedoboot 1939) were a class of fifteen small warships that served in the Kriegsmarine in World War II. Although classed as Flottentorpedoboot by the Germans, in most respects - displacement, weaponry, usage - they were comparable to contemporary British destroyers. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... German UC-1 class World War I submarine A model of Günther Priens Unterseeboot 47 (U-47), German WWII Type VII diesel-electric hunter Typhoon class nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Virginia, a Virginia-class nuclear attack (SSN) submarine A submarine is a watercraft that can operate underwater... The Type I U-boat was a 1936 attempt by the German Kriegsmarine to produce an oceangoing U-boat. ... CV-707 renamed Vesikko on display in Suomenlinna The Type II U-boat was designed by Germany as a coastal submarine, modeled after the Finnish CV-707. ... Type VII U-boats were the workhorses of the German World War II U-boot-waffe that was based on a E-2 type, developed by Deschimag company for the Soviet Navy (produced in USSR as IX series). ... The Type IX U-boat was designed by Germany in 1935 and 1936 as a large ocean-going submarine for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. ... Type X (XB) U-boats were a special type of German submarine (U-boat). ... -1... Type XXI U-boat U 3008, postwar photo Type XXI U-boats, also known as the Elektroboote, were the first submarines designed to operate entirely submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a temporary means to escape detection or launch an attack. ... German Type XXIII submarines were designed to operate in the shallows of the North Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea where larger Type XXI Elektro boats were at risk in World War II. They were so small they could carry only two torpedoes, which had to be loaded externally. ... Armed Merchantmen were merchant ships taken over by their nations navies, equipped with guns, and then used for military purposes. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...