Deutschland class: image versus commerce-raider requirements

In this interpretation, the Deutschland-class ships were heavy cruisers whose design matched no clear mission. An all-forward battery could have freed space for aviation facilities, secondary weapons, diesel machinery and aft torpedoes. Their roughly 26-knot speed left them unable to escape HMS Hood, Renown or Repulse, while even HMS Tiger and the Invincible class remained dangerous pursuers. For commerce raiding, speed, endurance, aircraft and secondary armament mattered more than status-laden eleven-inch guns. The design preserved technical skills and a politically impressive image without settling what these unusual ships were meant to do.