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How the Royal Navy classified Scharnhorst

A brief classification question identifies the Royal Navy's contemporary view of the German Scharnhorst class.

Battleships Royal Navy Scharnhorst Class Battleships Warship Classification

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Question

Did the Royal Navy have a consistent ship-type system, and what did it call the Scharnhorst class?

Short answer

The Royal Navy's consensus was that the Scharnhorst-class ships were battleships.

Notes

The Royal Navy had a ship-type system to an extent, although the exchange does not spell out a complete notation scheme comparable to BB and CA. Its consensus classified Scharnhorst as a battleship. National classifications can differ from later popular labels.