Two Deutschlands at the River Plate

Would Deutschland-class ships work better if they operated together?

They might win a local action such as the River Plate, but concentrating them would provoke a stronger British capital-ship response.

Deutschland and Admiral Graf Spee together would bring four heavy turrets against three British cruisers and could plausibly win the immediate battle. Achieving that concentration would require better German coordination than the historical dispersed campaign. Once the Royal Navy identified two raiders in the South Atlantic, it could send Renown, Repulse, or another fast capital ship to Harwood. Local superiority would therefore increase both German striking power and the scale of the force sent to destroy it.