Seydlitz's wing turrets and cross-deck firing limitations count against an otherwise simple, elegant design. Cross-deck fire would damage the deck, was difficult to practice in peacetime, and gave the guns only limited useful arcs. The offset arrangement also complicated weight distribution and widened the beam, with consequences for speed. Senior officers were already fighting over the Derfflinger class and future battleship requirements, which left Seydlitz's design team comparatively free from competing alterations. The result was a practical ship, though one with important speed and protection compromises.
Notable Point · 19:24-22:08
Seydlitz and the value of a coherent design team
Seydlitz emerged as a coherent and useful ship while senior attention was consumed by arguments over the next German capital-ship generation.