 Experience with previous battlecruiser designs led to the adoption of a continuous upper deck , which raised the level of the deck aft . This was necessary because the aft decks of earlier designs were usually awash when steaming at high speed , even in calm seas . The ships were also equipped with a bulbous bow to reduce drag on the hull , the first time the feature was used in the German Navy . The ships as designed required a crew of 46 officers and 1 @,@ 140 enlisted sailors . Service as a squadron flagship would increase that number by an additional 14 officers and 62 sailors . The vessels carried a number of small boats , including two picket boats , one barge , two launches , two cutters , and three yawls . 
