▁St os ch ' s ▁fleet ▁plan , ▁final ized ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁called ▁for ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁eight ▁ocean - going ▁iron cl ads ▁and ▁six ▁smaller , ▁arm ored ▁cor v ettes . ▁The ▁qu ota ▁for ▁sea - going ▁vessels ▁was ▁met ▁by ▁the ▁, ▁while ▁only ▁one ▁arm ored ▁cor v ette ▁had ▁been ▁laid ▁down ▁by ▁that ▁point : ▁. ▁St os ch ▁had ▁instruct ed ▁the ▁design ▁staff ▁to ▁begin ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁next ▁cor v ette ▁already ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁and ▁work ▁on ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁Sachsen ▁class ▁continued ▁into ▁ 1 8 7 4 . ▁They ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁vessels ▁built ▁under ▁the ▁Imperial ▁government . ▁ ▁The ▁ships ▁were ▁intended ▁to ▁operate ▁in ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁Sea ▁as ▁a ▁primary ▁component ▁of ▁an ▁integrated ▁coast al ▁defense ▁system ▁proposed ▁by ▁St os ch . ▁He ▁designated ▁the ▁ships ▁Aus fall kor vet ten ▁( sort ie ▁cor v ettes ), ▁den oting ▁their ▁intended ▁use . ▁In ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁war ▁with ▁a ▁superior ▁naval ▁power ▁and ▁the ▁im position ▁of ▁a ▁naval ▁block ade , ▁the ▁Sachsen - class ▁ships ▁would ▁sortie ▁from ▁fort ified ▁bases ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁block aders . ▁They ▁also ▁had ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁breaking ▁up ▁landing ▁attempts . ▁The ▁German ▁railway ▁network ▁linked ▁the ▁bases ▁so ▁ground ▁forces ▁could ▁be ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁sites ▁of ▁enemy ▁land ings . ▁St os ch ▁en vision ed ▁using ▁the ▁smaller