German Battlecruisers
Entries in bold indicate photos.
Von der Tann Class
| Von der Tann | Germanys first real battlecruiser was far better protected than the Invincibles, and with forced draught, was also faster. Badly damaged at Jutland, Von der Tann was saved by her armour and subdivision. |
Moltke Class
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Goeben Moltke |
Better protection than the Von der Tann led to the Moltkes being slightly slower. Their advanced engine design gave much trouble, particularly in the Goeben. |
Seydlitz Class
| Seydlitz | An improved Moltke, the Seydlitz was longer, but less beamy, and increased power led to an improvement in speed, even though the displacement was increased by nearly 2000 tons. |
Derfflinger Class
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Derfflinger Hindenburg Lutzow |
Wartime priorities meant a slowing down in building capital ships, and the Hindenburg took 47 months to complete. An increase in length allowed for greater speed, even though power output was reduced. |
Mackensen Class
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Furst Bismarck / Ersatz Friedrich Carl Graf Spee Mackensen Prinz Eitel Friedrich / Ersatz Freya |
None of the Mackensens would be finished, due to wartime priorities. Staying behind the British in gun size allowed for greater protection, as featured in all German battlecruisers, and was proved by the ships ability to take punishment. |
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