War at Sea
Allied Nations
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- France
- Greece
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Soviet Union
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Allies stat table
Axis Nations
Neutral Nations/Installations
Sets
- War At Sea
- Task Force
- Flank Speed
- New Starter
- Condition Zebra
- Set V (Fleet Command)
- Surface action
- First Strike (Forumini Expansion Deck A)
- Infamy (Forumini Expansion Deck B)
- Battle Line (Forumini Expansion Deck C)
- All Hands on Deck (Forumini D)
- Action Stations (Forumini E)
- Dead Reckoning (Forumini F)
Unit Card:
Set - Rarity - Number
V - Rare - 22/39
History:
RB's V OS #4 (updated by nrnstraswa)
The German Kriegsmarine regarded the two Bismarck-class battleships as merely the first steps in the construction of a powerful new battle fleet, one worthy of a first-class naval power. The centerpiece of the ambitious “Z Plan” for naval rearmament was intended to be the six giant H-class battleships. The H-class design strongly resembled the Bismarck, but featured a more powerful main battery of eight 16-inch guns and slightly improved protection on a hull that increased displacement over the preceding class by more than 10,000 tons. They would have exceeded 60,000 tons in service, not much smaller than the Japanese Yamato class or planned Sovyetskiy Soyuz class. Later German battleship designs reached ludicrous proportions, but were never more than studies.
The first H-class hull, H39, was laid down in July of 1939, with an intended completion of the entire class by 1945. However, war came sooner than Hitler expected, and the utility of battleships that wouldn’t be finished until years after the war’s end (as Hitler saw things in 1939) was highly questionable. Work on H39 was halted in October of 1939, and the hull was later scrapped on the slip. However, the 16-inch guns manufactured for H39 eventually saw service as powerful shore batteries in the Atlantic Wall defenses.
The Germans never officially named H39, but in April of 1942 Time magazine published an article on the new German battleship construction and reported the name Friedrich der Grosse (Frederick the Great). While the Kriegsmarine often used simple letter and number designations for smaller warships, the Germans named their capital ships; Friedrich der Grosse is as good a guess as any.
Reviews:
Large size and superior compartmentation provides Friedrich der Grosse with a vital armor of 17, the highest in the game. Although she was designed with six submerged torpedo tubes, this obsolete feature isn’t included in her attack charts—the tertiary batteries are more important. German fire control radar improved continuously through the war, so like Tirpitz she gains the powerful Extended Range 5 attack on her main battery. When played against enemy battleships lacking ER5, Friedrich der Grosse should hang back and make full use of her range advantage.
RB's V OS #4
Gamesguy
Essentially this piece is a slightly souped up Tirpitz. For 15 more points, you only gain the following:
-1 more main guns
-1 more armor, 2 vital, and 1 hull
You also lose one flagship. While a nice piece for the group of unfinished superbattleships, the Tirpitz suits German needs better for a much cheaper price.
Aran55633
This ship isn't particularly useful. Tirpitz and the new Bismarck are both 15 points cheaper, and both are almost as good as this ship. You could take either of them with a submarine, fighter, etc., come in at a lower price, and probably get more out of those two units than this one. It just isn't worth it.
Azrael
6 hulls are the best/most undercosted unit type in the game so having one with ER5, VA17 and 9AA makes this one of the best units in the game the only thing holding it back is firepower that matches the nastier Iowa and Yamato classes.
Crissie's Critiques
The Friedrich Der Grosse is the heaviest battleship that the european axis can field. Though it is a step up from the Tirpitz, gaining +1 to main guns, +1 to armour and +2 to vital, and losing one flagship bonus, what really makes this unit better than the Tirpitz is the extra hull point, making this unit much more durable when coupled with the +1 armour. This unit can be useful in games where you have the points to spare, but most of the time the Tirpitz will do everything the Friedrich Der Grosse will for 15 points cheaper. CC Rating: B
Plastic Figure Notes:
