The ships were improved versions of the preceding Deutschland-class cruisers, authorized by Adolf Hitler in 1933.

He therefore authorized the Reichsmarine (Navy of the Realm) to build two additional panzerschiffe (armored ships) to supplement the three Deutschlands.

[2] Admiral Erich Raeder, the commander in chief of the Reichsmarine, advocated increasing the armor protection for the new panzerschiffe and inquired about the possibility of including a third triple turret.

It was determined, however, that a third turret could not be added to the ship and still remain within the 19,000 ton limit prescribed by Hitler.

[3] The ships were designed under the contract names D and E, and designed under the provisional names Ersatz Elsass and Ersatz Hessen as replacements for the old pre-dreadnought battleships SMS Elsass and SMS Hessen.

[4] That month, the Reichsmarine decided to alter the designs to counter the new Dunkerque-class battleships building in France.

The ships would have been turbine-powered; the engines were designed to provide 125,000 metric horsepower (123,000 shp) and a top speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph).

The shells were fired at 910 meters per second (2,986 fps), and at maximum elevation of 40 degrees, a range of 36,475 m (39,890 yards).

[7] The heavy anti-aircraft battery consisted of eight 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/33 guns in twin mountings.

[1] The mounts were the Dopp LC/31 type, originally designed for earlier 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK C/31 guns.