The M-class paired Town displacement with Leander armament

How did the planned German M-class compare with British light cruisers in displacement and armament?

It combined roughly Town-class displacement with Leander-class armament and was intended mainly as a long-range scout for commerce raiders.

The planned displacement was roughly 8,500 to 9,300 tons, close to a British Town-class cruiser. Its eight six-inch guns were closer to a Leander's fighting power than a Town's twelve-gun battery. The design attempted to compensate with a projected range of roughly 8,000 to 12,000 nautical miles at 19 knots, depending on the version. That endurance suited scouting ahead of German commerce-raiding squadrons. A large hull was being spent on range rather than the gun advantage expected in a fleet light cruiser.