German Tankers Plan Z

[siono]

Hello. Help please understand prompt. The German plan for the final version of the Z shipbuilding program provides 8 aircraft carriers, 249 submarines and a large number of ships of other classes. What were the ships? Tankers? Advice please assumed or not the mass construction of tankers in the Plan Z? If so, how many planned to be built according to plan Z tanker 40? 50? Or more? The Germans planned raider war, and therefore tankers scheduled to be built a lot! Since the squadron of Germans were in need of huge amounts of fuel. Please tell me you are asking what role the tankers have played in the Plan Z? And how many tankers scheduled to be built? Tell at least an approximate number. After all, the German battleships of the H also had to operate as part of the raid groups. It must have been quite large battleships with diesel engines. These giants also had to supply the fuel! And for their supplies had to be an impressive number of tankers! Help me please tell me. I hope for understanding from your side and your answers. With respect to you, Sergey

[RePe]

Hello Sergey,

concerning the "Z-Plan" ("Z" Shipbuilding program) of the German Navy ("Kriegsmarine")
from autumn 1938 you can find the following declarations concerning the "Tross-Schiffe"
(= combined tankers/supply- resp. support-ships):

Provisional final determination ("Endziel") : 12
- of these 9 type "Altmark" (approx. 11,000 gross register tons (GRT), approx. 21 kn;
         and 3 of a bigger and faster type than "Altmark" (approx. 16,500 GRT, ? kn).

Of these 12 ships 3 type "Altmark" have been commissioned up to Sept. 1., 1939,
2 were under construction (later completed), the others never laid down.

Considerations were made for a number of smaller tankers/supply-/support-ships
(approx. 7,000 - 8,000 GRT, 28 kn), but no amount is mentioned.

Concerning the "Z-Plan" you should consider the following hint:
The exact numbers of auxiliary ships including tankers, oilers, supply-/support-ships,
are hardly resp. impossible to find out. The reason for this is the secrecy of that time.
A witness at the Nuremberg trials" in 1945/46 pointed out that for this reason no
complete schedule had to be made about the plannings and orders whithin the frame
of the "Z-Shipbuilding program".

Source: Files of the IMT (Interallied Military Tribunal) at Nuremberg. Important libraries
(f. i. in Moscow) should have these files too.

On Sept. 1., 1939, the German Navy possessed the following tankers/oilers for
various purposes:
2 of approx.    200 GRT
4                  300
6                  450
11               1,500
3                1,800
2                2,600
1                6,000

During the war a number of tankers/oilers were of course built and completed, but
these had nothing to do with the "Z-Plan", because this plan was declared obsolete
at the beginning of the war.

     Greetings

           RePe

[siono]

Hello. Thank you very much for your response. I have to you one question: tell me please, as these tankers and 3 of a bigger and faster type than Altmark (approx. 16,500 GRT,? Kn). Are there any pictures of these tankers? Maybe in the book: Tanker und Versorger der deutschen flotte 1900-1980 Konstruktionen - Ausrustung, Bewaffnung-Ausgaben-Einsatze Jung / Maass / Wenzel? Or in this book appear only tankers that were built? And tankers, which have remained on paper it does not? I am very interested in the German tanker 1930-1940! And especially those who have remained in the project. Do not tell me please where you can learn about these three tankers? I hope for understanding on your part and your answer! With respect to you, Sergey

[RePe]

Hello Sergey,

I don't know the book you are mentioning.
As for drawings or even photos of the projected tankers/oilers I really doubt the existence of these,
because, as I already mentioned, except for the "Altmark"-class, no further elaborations have been worked out.
But I am not historian.
One more hint for you on this subject:
In the accompanying remarks to the planned "Z-Plan"-ships concerning the ships that should be bigger and faster
than the "Altmark", there is the suggestion, that these ships should be able for the use as auxiliary cruisers in
cases of opportunity or occasion.

      Greetings

          RePe