


Her main battery was larger than her predecessors, opting for 12in guns in response to the British increasing their armor thickness. Like Konig, Derfflinger was the first of her type to have all of her main battery mounted on the centerline and her secondary armament moved up to the superstructure due to the flush deck design. She was a completely new design compared to her predecessors and was built to compliment the Konig-class battleships also being built at the time. The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.īuilt in response to the British Lion class battlecruisers launched in 1910, Derfflinger was laid down in 1912 and was the lead ship of her class of three.
