 The Bayern @-@ class battleships were armed with a main battery of eight 38 cm ( 15 in ) SK L / 45 guns in four Drh LC / 1913 twin gun turrets . These turrets could train 150 degrees to either side of the centerline , and their guns could depress to − 8 degrees . As the Germans thought that conditions in the North Sea would dictate short @-@ range actions , the guns initially could elevate only to 16 degrees , which allowed a maximum range of 20 @,@ 400 m . The gun mountings were modified to allow elevation up to 20 degrees , increasing the range to 23 @,@ 200 m . 
