> German or Japanese destroyer-cruiser-battle ship-carrier refitted post war and in cold war Australia, Canada, UK service.
Funny you should say that ...
... because I have recently been contemplating buying a 1/350
Prinz Eugen to build as a RAN post-war prize in my Royal Australian Marines alternate history.
I know she (or should I be using the European "he"?) went to the Americans & that they had extensive trouble with her boilers & engines once the remaining German crew left the ship but, I thought, "What if they passed her on to Australia, which was being rowdy about not getting any decent war prizes, in 1946/47 instead of blowing up atom bombs at her?"
Australia could then put her in dry dock for a serious overhaul & upgrade. Replace her guns (with British BL 8-inch Mk.VIII naval guns) & boilers with British boilers (RAN was still very RN-centric at this time).
Interestingly, from what I can gather, the British guns were lighter than their German (& American) equivalents & the boilers slightly heavier. This would, in fact, have improved her sea-keeping abilities & freed up mass to be added to the superstructure in the form of the latest fire-control, radar & AAA weapons systems.
With such a major overhaul & rebuild at this time I could see her returning to service either just before or during the Korean War, with her service life extending past Viet Nam &, maybe, up to the late 1990's or even, barely possibly, into the 2000's.
Prinz Eugen's mine! Mine!! Do you understand??? All mine!!!! Muahahahahahahahahahahahhaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!
