page_title: Derfflinger-class battlecruiser
section_title: General characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: Derfflinger-class battlecruiser / Design / General characteristics
caption_attribution_description: English: Left elevation and plan diagrams of German Derfflinger class battlecruiser.
context_page_description: The Derfflinger class was a class of three battlecruisers of the Imperial German Navy. The ships were ordered for the 1912–13 Naval Building Program of the German Imperial Navy as a reply to the Royal Navy's three new Lion-class battlecruisers that had been launched a few years earlier. The preceding Moltke class and the incrementally improved Seydlitz represented the end of the evolution of Germany's first generation of battlecruisers. The Derfflinger class had considerable improvements, including a larger primary armament, all of which was mounted on the centerline. The ships were also larger than the preceding classes. The Derfflinger class used a similar propulsion system, and as a result of the increased displacement were slightly slower.
  The class comprised three ships: Derfflinger, Lützow, and Hindenburg. All three of the ships saw active service with the High Seas Fleet during World War I. Derfflinger was commissioned shortly after the outbreak of war, and was present at most of the naval actions in the North Sea, including the battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland.
context_section_description: Derfflinger and Lützow were 210 m (690 ft) long at the waterline and 210.40 m (690 ft 3 in) long overall. Hindenburg was slightly longer, at 212.50 m (697 ft 2 in) at the waterline and 212.80 m (698 ft 2 in) overall. All three ships had a beam of 29 m (95 ft 2 in), and a draft of between 9.20 m (30 ft 2 in) forward and 9.57 m (31 ft 5 in) aft. The first two ships were designed to displace 26,600 tonnes (26,200 long tons) with a standard load, and up to 31,200 tonnes (30,700 long tons) at combat weight. Hindenburg displaced slightly more, at 26,947 tonnes (26,521 long tons) standard and 31,500 tonnes (31,000 long tons) fully laden. The ships' hulls were constructed from longitudinal steel frames, over which the outer hull plates were riveted. Derfflinger's hull contained 16 watertight compartments, though Lützow and Hindenburg had an additional seventeenth compartment. All three ships had a double bottom that ran for 65% of the length of the hull. This was a decrease from preceding German battlecruisers, which had a double bottom for at least 75% of the hull.
  The ships were regarded as excellent sea boats by the German navy. The Derfflinger-class ships were described as having had gentle motion, though they were "wet" at the casemate deck. The ships lost up to 65% speed with the twin rudders hard over, and heeled up to 11 degrees. This was greater than any of the preceding battlecruiser designs, and as a result, anti-roll tanks were fitted to Derfflinger. The three ships had a metacentric height of 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in). The standard crew for one of the vessels was 44 officers and 1,068 men; when serving as the flagship for the I Scouting Group, the ships carried an additional 14 officers and 62 men. The Derfflingers carried smaller craft, including one picket boat, three barges, two launches, two yawls, and two dinghies.
caption: Plan and elevation view of the Derfflinger class, from Jane's Fighting Ships 1919
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