German super-cruisers invite a heavier British answer

Could Germany build nine-gun 11-inch super-cruisers for commerce raiding without provoking Britain into new battleship construction?

No; Britain would judge the capability rather than the label and probably answer with a super-cruiser armed with 14-inch or numerous 9.2-inch guns.

The hypothetical German ships are presented as fast, long-ranged cruisers intended to attack trade rather than fight the battle fleet. Labels would not stop Britain from responding to their actual combat power. The Royal Navy could answer with its own super-cruiser, probably carrying six 14-inch guns drawn from an existing production base. Twelve 9.2-inch guns offer another British path, illustrating how a commerce-raiding design could trigger a new category of naval arms competition.