SMS Blücher was a rational attempt to retain an armoured-cruiser gun scale rather than copy Invincible directly. That choice kept the ship recognizably within the cruiser hierarchy, but it also made large cruisers clearly subordinate to battleships in status and fighting power. Britain could not accept that result because it needed prestigious capital ships to act around the world before a concentrated battle squadron could arrive. Equipping the new cruisers with battleship-calibre guns also made them overwhelming opponents for enemy armoured cruisers, supporting both deterrence and commerce protection.
Notable Point · 10:37-13:37
Blücher and the lower-status cruiser alternative
Blücher illustrates a more conservative response to the dreadnought armoured cruiser, and why Britain still required higher-status cruisers with battleship-calibre guns.