Derfflinger finally moved German battlecruisers from 11-inch weapons to eight 12-inch guns. Its superfiring arrangement improved forward fire, yet other navies had already adopted heavier batteries. Lutzow and Hindenburg received more 15-centimetre secondary guns and larger torpedo tubes, while the armour belt remained close to that of earlier German battlecruisers. The design only appears equivalent to newer British ships if German 12-inch performance is treated as matching British 13.5-inch guns, an equivalence the episode rejects. This makes the class a procurement problem: an expensive capital ship needed to add enough combat capability to justify its cost.
Notable Point · 6:09-9:05
Derfflinger's uncertain return on investment
The Derfflinger class finally brought 12-inch guns to German battlecruisers, although its armament and fittings offered an uncertain return against stronger foreign designs.