Like the Luftwaffe and the army, Raeder started from the premise that Germany should act unilaterally without regard to the international ramifications of its rearmament. So Raeder projected a substantial force in violation of Versailles restrictions: 8 battleships, instead of 6 permitted by Versailles; 3 aircraft carriers, not provided for by the Treaty; 8 cruisers, instead of the 6 permitted; 48 destroyers, instead of 12 permitted under the Treaty; and 72 submarines, which were completely illegal.
