The "Derfflinger" class was authorized for the 1911 fiscal year as part of the 1906 naval law; design work had begun in early 1910. After their British counterparts had begun installing guns in their battlecruisers, senior officers in the German naval command came to the conclusion that an increase in caliber from to would be necessary. To keep costs from growing too quickly, the number of guns was reduced from ten to eight, compared to the earlier , but a more efficient superfiring arrangement was adopted. "Hindenburg", the third and final member of the class, was allocated to the 1913 construction program.