Tugboats tow the Graf Zeppelin, 1938

Shortly after the successful launch tugboats tow the Graf Zeppelin to the fitting quay of the Deutsche Werke in Kiel. There they began building the actual flight deck and the armament of the ship. This was one of the largest ships of the Navy and was built by the Deutsche Werke in Kiel. The further expansion, especially the takeoff and landing systems (planned) of airplanes, was delayed since the beginning of World War II and in the middle of 1940 it has been completely stopped. The second phase from 1942 was stopped again on 2.2.1943, the ship was towed to Stettin and gradually cannibalized. To make it unusable for the approaching Red Army, she was sunk on 25.04.1945. They salvaged her in 1947 and used her for testing purposes, until she sank in the Gulf of Gdansk in June 1947

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Actual Approaching Armament Cannibalized Completely Delayed Deutsche Especially Expansion Fitting Further Gdansk Gradually Gulf Holstein Kiel Planned Purposes Salvaged Sank Schleswig Schleswig Holstein Schleswig-holstein Shortly Stettin Stopped Sunk Takeoff Towed Tugboats Unusable Werke Wharf

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