SMS Hindenburg

[Pirate Pete]

I have to admit, I’m not 100% sure if this is the correct place to ask this, but, here goes anyway.
During the First World War, the Germans built three Derfflinger class Battle Cruisers.
Derfflinger, Lutzow and Hindenburg..
Now, regarding the Hindenburg - her construction and completion was delayed by labour shortages and she wasn’t finally completed until 1917. She was part of the 1913 programme, and was planned as ‘Ersatz Hertha’ as a replacement for the old protected cruiser.
Now, I know traditionally the Germans did not announce (publicly at least) warships names prior to launch, but is there any indication of what ‘Hindenburg’ might have been named originally. She was, after all, finally named for Field Marshall Paul von Hindenburg following the victories at Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes.
Just putting it out there…

 

[Jemiba]

Good question, couldn't find any other name for Ersatz Hertha, not in the Gröner, nor in Grießmer "Grosse Kreuzer der Kaiserlichen Marine 1906-1918", covering the development of the last armoured to battlecruisers.
But Hindenburg by no means was a dark horse until his victories in WWI. He was amongst the highest ranks in the German army, when he retired in 1911, and was talked about as chief of the general staff, and supposedly even as Prussian minister of war.
Maybe Ersatz Hertha just would have got another name, if Hindenburg would have lost the battle of Tannenberg or the winter battle of Masuria ?
And not to forget, the real winner of those battles is said to have been Ludendorff. Hindenburg often said, that he himself slept well during them ...

 

[Dorknought]

IIRC 'Manteuffel' was penciled in by Royal Navy Intelligence (may have been for Mackensen). Other potential names:

• 'Zieten' had also been used before.
• 'Stosch' could be recycled from the Franco-Prussian War.
• 'Stein' is another possibility.

 

[Topi]

IIRC 'Manteuffel' was penciled in by Royal Navy Intelligence (may have been for Mackensen). Other potential names:

• 'Zieten' had also been used before.
• 'Stosch' could be recycled from the Franco-Prussian War.
• 'Stein' is another possibility.

Stein, despite being a surname in this case, would have been a rather ominous name for a ship...

 

[Jemiba]

Stein, despite being a surname in this case, would have been a rather ominous name for a ship...

See SMS Stein ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Stein ), named after Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein, 1757 – 1831.
And the ship didn't sink, but was scrapped in 1920.

 

[Pirate Pete]

Thanks all for your input. Got diverted by other things and neglected to respond before.