[2] It called for a ship that displaced 20,000-metric-ton (19,684-long-ton), which had a maximum speed of 34 to 35 knots (63 to 65 km/h; 39 to 40 mph), and was armed with a main battery of six 28 cm (11 in) guns in two triple turrets.

[4] By 1938, it became clear to Admiral Erich Raeder that Hitler's aggressive foreign policy would bring conflict with Britain.

He therefore decided that a significantly larger force of armored ships would be necessary to execute an effective commerce raiding campaign against the British.

Raeder's intention to fight a commerce war against Britain was the basis for Plan Z,[1] which included twelve ships of the P-class design.

The ships were ordered under the provisional names P1 through P12; the contracts were awarded to a number of German shipyards, including Deutsche Werke in Kiel, Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, and the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven.

Instead, the decision was made to build the O-class battlecruisers only, with the outbreak of World War II in September meaning that not even those vessels would be built.

The design featured a very long forecastle deck that extended for most of the length of the hull, terminating just forward of the aft main battery turret.

[7] The ships were designed to be equipped with twelve MAN 9-cylinder V-configuration double acting two-stroke diesel engines, which were arranged in four sets of three, each of which drove one of four shafts.

The propulsion system was rated to produce a top speed of 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) from 165,000 metric horsepower (163,000 shp).

[3] The ships were armed with a main battery of six 28 cm (11 in) quick-firing guns mounted in two triple turrets, one fore and one aft on the centerline.

The ships were also armed with a secondary battery of four 15 cm (5.9 in)/L55 guns in two twin turrets, also mounted on the centerline, fore and aft.

[3] The 15 cm twin turrets were Drh L. C/34 mounts—the same type as those fitted to the Bismarck- and Scharnhorst-class battleships, as well as a number of other designs.

The 15 cm guns had a rate of fire of between 6 and 8 45.3 kg (100 lb) rounds per minute, at a muzzle velocity of 875 meters per second (2,871 ft/s).

[3] The 10.5 cm guns were carried in four twin turrets, one pair abreast the forward conning tower and the other on either side of the rear funnel.