Launched in 1939 and commissioned in 1941, the Tirpitz was one of the largest battleships ever built by Germany. Its main armament consisted of eight 15-inch guns mounted in four twin turrets, capable ...

Tirpitz’ “risk-fleet theory” was a debacle for Imperial Germany. But it could work for China—now playing the role of the United States during its turn-of-the-century rise to hemispheric eminence.

Had London simply taken a step back and realized the Germans were disinterested in deploying the Tirpitz from its Norwegian redoubt, they probably could have avoided many mistakes. A marvel of German ...