Would Scharnhorst be better with 11-inch or 15-inch guns?

Would Scharnhorst and Gneisenau be more effective with nine 11-inch guns or six 15-inch guns?

The nine 11-inch guns better suit a surface raider, while six 15-inch guns become preferable if the ships are expected to fight in a battle line against capital ships.

The class did not receive 11-inch guns because Germany had settled a timeless ideal for a battlecruiser. Those mountings were the largest practical weapons available when construction began, with a later 15-inch conversion contemplated. A raider benefits from the greater number of 11-inch barrels against cruisers and merchant targets. A ship expected to exchange heavy blows with battleships values the damage and penetration of the 15-inch shell more, even at the cost of three guns.