Kriegsmarine Expanded

Larger starting navy for Germany (and the Soviets for balance/flavor). I have made some additions to a few other nations in the game, so I hope you enjoy them. In addition to that, I have written a little bit of lore for the mod, however I would like to point out that this is still a work in progress and things can and will change. In any case, I hope you enjoy!

Lore;

Due to the threat posed by the Bolsheviks, the Weimar Republic was allowed to retain a larger fleet than in otl for the purposes of contesting the Baltic Sea in what the Entente believed would be a future confrontation with the Russians. This included six “modern” battleships of the Bayern and König Classes, as well as the two remaining battlecruisers of the Derfflinger Class. This proved to be a very forward thinking decision as the Bolsheviks managed to seize control of much of the Russian Imperial Fleet through various means, such as raids and mutinies, and now controlled a number of large and dangerous capital ships that could pose a serious threat to the Entente navies.

With all that said, Germany was still not in a great state economically after World War I. The nation would sell off many of her older ships that were not seized by the Entente in order to pay off its war debts and the reparations enforced on her by the Treaty of Versailles. Notable examples of this being the SMS Moltke being sold to the French, who then sold the ship to the Turks, where it would be renamed TCG Izmir. The battlecruisers Von der Tann and Seydlitz would be sold to the British, who then sold the ships to Chile and Argentina respectively (they would be renamed BACH Almirante Cochrane and ARG Azopardo). This sale coincided with the transfer of HMS Agincourt back to Brazilian ownership, after which she was renamed NRB Rio de Janeiro, and the transfer of HMS Erin to the Turks, where she was renamed TCG Atatürk. Germany would also sell KMS Roon to Brazil, who would rename it NRB Acre, as well as sell off their two Köln Class light cruisers to Argentina.

Due to political strife and economic issues in the first half of the 1920s, Germany’s only major naval construction project would be the light cruiser Emden, which was laid down in 1921 but not completed until 1925. There were plans for a total of four Emden Class Cruisers to be built, however these plans were scrapped due to production delays with the lead ship of the class. Around the same time, new plans were drawn up for a pair of enlarged Emden Classes dubbed the Erstaz Köln and Erstaz Blücher Classes. These ships would enter production in 1924 and 1926, beginning with the Erstaz Blücher’s. This class of enlarged Emdens were envisioned as heavy cruisers, though their size and weight were more akin to large light cruisers, their main armament consisted of six 8in guns mounted in two superfiring double turrets at the bow and a single double turret at the stern. Upon completion, the first ship of the class was renamed to Moltke and the class was dubbed the Moltke Class. The second and last ship would be dubbed Lettow-Vorbeck. The Erstaz Köln’s were to be improved versions of the Emden, built specifically with the lessons of that ship in mind, with all three ships of the class taking a combined three years to be built and commissioned as opposed to the Emden’s five years to be built and commissioned. Upon completion they were dubbed the Königsberg Class.

By 1929 the Reichsmarine had become a formidable green-water fleet, operating eight heavy capital ships, two heavy cruisers, and soon to be four modern light cruisers. In terms of their destroyer force, twelve destroyer-sized torpedo boats of the Type 23 and 24 classes had been built to supplement the older WW1-era B & G class destroyers still operated by the fleet at this time. Following Stalin’s take over of the Soviet Union, the Red Fleet began a large rebuilding project, refitting and recommissioning several older ships, including the armored cruiser Kronstadt (ex-Rurik), one of the largest armored cruisers ever built. She was refitted and totally rearmed with a dreadnought-style all big gun setup, her 10in main guns and 8in secondaries being replaced by a pair of triple 12in gun turrets removed from the battleship Imperatritsa Mariya. In addition to this, the Soviets modernized their older capital ships in the Marat Class (ex-Gangut Class), Soborna Ukraina (ex-Imperator Nikolai I), Volia (ex-Imperator Aleksandr III), and the pre-dreadnaughts of the Marx Class (ex-Andrei Pervozvanny Class). This development sparked a naval arms race between Germany and the Soviet Union in the late 1920s and into the early 1930s. Seeing the growing threat from Germany and the Soviet Union, Sweden would begin a modernization program of its own for its navy, ultimately culminating in the laying down of two new Coastal Defense Battleships, the Karl XII Class in 1935. During this time Germany invested much of its development into its cruisers, in 1928 laying down the Leipzig Class of Light Cruisers. Just a year later however, Germany would lay down her largest class of warships since WWI, the Heavy Cruiser Lützow. Armed with 11in main guns mounted in a pair of triple turrets, she was a direct response to the refitted and rearmed Kronstadt. Initially planned to be the first of three ships in her class, significant upgrades to the armor, engines, superstructure, and secondary armament were made to her sisters to that point they are classified as a separate class, the Admiral Scheer Class.

Both Germany and the Soviets would throw out the conventions of the naval treaties by the mid 1930s, continuing their arms race, with them expanding to destroyers and submarines. However, things came to a head when in 1935 Germany laid down the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. This prompted the Soviets to begin planning and then eventually laying down their own new capitalships, the Lenin Class of battlecruisers. A pair of ships resembling the British Nelson Class battleships in overall appearance. With tensions ever growing, there are further plans for more large warships on all sides.

Politics in both nations up to this point have been somewhat unstable and by 1936 who’s to say what will occur in Germany and the Soviet Union. All that can be said however, is when a war does occur, it will be fought with intensity not just on land and in the air, but also upon the high seas.

Navy Info;

Germany
6 Battleships
2 Battlecruisers
4 Heavy Cruisers (2 Panzerschiffe)
8 Light Cruisers
22 Destroyers
18 Submarines

Soviet Union
8 Battleships
3 Heavy Cruisers (1 Coastal Defense Ship)
6 Light Cruisers
18 Destroyers
59 Submarines

Sweden
8 Heavy Cruisers (all Coastal Defense Ships)
2 Light Cruisers
15 Destroyers
10 Submarines

Turkey
1 Battleship
2 Battlecruisers
2 Light Cruisers (both Coastal Defense Ships)
6 Destroyers
5 Submarines

Argentina
2 Battleships
1 Battlecruiser
4 Heavy Cruisers (2 Coastal Defense Ships)
2 Light Cruisers
9 Destroyers
3 Submarines

Brazil
3 Battleships
1 Heavy Cruiser (Coastal Defense Ship)
2 Light Cruisers
8 Destroyers
1 Submarine

Chile
1 Battleship
1 Battlecruiser
1 Heavy Cruiser (Coastal Defense Ship)
1 Light Cruiser (Coastal Defense Ship)
8 Destroyers
9 Submarines

Additional Changes;

National Spirit “Baltic Sea Naval Arms Race” added to Germany, Sweden, and the Soviet Union

Production lines edited for Germany & the Soviet Union

Added dockyards to Germany & the Soviet Union

New Changes (6/13/2026);

Updated to latest game version

Siamese Navy tweaked

For added flavor, pair this mod with Lamp’s Eqpt Icons and Ship Designer – Universal

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=947459516

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2896492648