German capital ships confused raiding and battle-fleet roles

Were Bismarck and the H-class intended as fleet battleships or as long-range commerce raiders?

Their features point toward raiding, but Germany treated or dressed them as conventional fighting ships, leaving the designs caught between incompatible roles.

The comment reconsiders German capital ships as oversized raiders rather than straightforward battleships. It points to Bismarck's range, distributed protection against cruiser fire, split secondary battery, hydrophones, and reconnaissance aircraft, then observes that the H-class pushed range and scouting capacity further. Germany wanted raiding ships but believed, or presented, itself as building fighting ships for the battle fleet. That unresolved mission choice helps explain why the designs appear powerful in individual traits yet strategically incoherent.