Why six 11-inch guns limited a Deutschland raider

A surface raider had to expect either a capital ship or a pack of cruisers sent to contain it. American super-frigates had posed a similar problem, prompting Britain to answer their local superiority with groups of ships of the line. The Battle of the River Plate shows why two triple turrets made simultaneous engagements difficult, even though the 11-inch gun outranged ordinary cruiser weapons. With only two main-battery groups, a Deutschland could not efficiently divide heavy fire among three or four opponents. The design attracted a powerful hunting force without giving the raider the layout needed to defeat that force. Competing offices then added requirements without enforcing a coherent whole.