The Ship Model Forum

You might be looking at one of those insane rebuilds like the Italians did with the Cavour and Andrea Doria to get as close to a modern battleship as possible. It depends on how much they have to keep hidden, how quickly they might need them, and how much utility they need to get out of those hulls.

Assuming the purpose is to potentially contest the UK again, then you could increase barrel elevation, re-engine/boiler to get closer to 30 knots, add armor and an Atlantic bow, change out the secondaries and increase the AA fit. Changes to modernize the superstructure could make it a look a lot more like Bismarck or the Twins.

Alternative history time..

With more powerful influence and direction from the Americans, the British and French relent on utterly destroying Germany and the dismantling of her military. As such the Hochseeflotte survives it's stay in Scapa Flow and is returned to Germany in 1919/1920. Owing to a less punitive peace treaty, Germany, while weakened financially, is still able to maintain and refit her fleet in keeping with the Washington Naval Treaty of 1921.

Presumably the Bayern and Baden would have survived, along with the Konig class with Derfflinger and Lutzow. The rest would have been scrapped under the terms of the treaty and a reduced tonnage limit compared to the US, Britain and France.

So, that being said, what do you all think a modernized, late 20's early 30's refit of those ships would have looked like? I could see Bayern and Baden looking very similar to a proto-Bismarck or Scharnhorst class.