German force planning resembled Japan's in one important respect: too few battleships forced expensive fast ships into overlapping roles. Germany soon recognised that it could not match the Royal Navy ship for ship. Its battlecruisers had to operate as a fast force and absorb punishment alongside the battle line when necessary. Their presence could make it harder for a larger British formation to envelop the fleet from both sides. Numerical inferiority therefore shaped both protection and tactical employment.
Notable Point · 48:05-48:43
German battlecruisers as battle-line reinforcements
Because Germany could not match British battleship numbers, its battlecruisers also had to reinforce the battle line and help prevent the smaller fleet from being enveloped.