Did Seydlitz sink if her crew brought her home?

Should Seydlitz count as sunk because the damaged battlecruiser touched bottom?

No. Because her crew recovered the ship and brought her home, touching bottom shows how close she came to sinking rather than proving that she was lost.

The debate is whether Seydlitz should be counted as sunk because the badly damaged battlecruiser touched bottom. The standard used here gives decisive weight to the crew's success in keeping the ship recoverable and bringing her home. Touching bottom demonstrates how close the ship came to loss, but does not erase that damage-control achievement. The exchange shows how apparently simple battle statistics can depend on the historian's operational definition.