Germany designed Scharnhorst and Gneisenau for service far from home, with the East Asia Squadron as the clearest destination. That squadron embodied national status as well as operational capability, so its ships had to remain credible fighting units at great distance from German yards. Before World War I, the word cruiser covered a broad range of warships and missions, often meaning almost any major combatant short of a battleship. The class carried eight 210 mm guns, twice the four-gun main battery of its predecessors. This heavier armament still had to fit within a hull suited to overseas deployment.
Chapter · 3:34-5:35
An overseas cruiser for the East Asia Squadron
Built for distant stations, especially the East Asia Squadron, the class paired political presence with eight 210 mm guns and the endurance of an overseas cruiser.