▁ ▁of ▁arm ored ▁gun bo ats ▁to ▁support ▁them , ▁though ▁these ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁disappoint ments ▁in ▁service . ▁ ▁Their ▁roles ▁im posed ▁several ▁design ▁limitations ▁on ▁the ▁vessels . ▁The ▁vessels ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁operate ▁in ▁coast al ▁areas , ▁which ▁required ▁a ▁shall ow ▁draft ▁in ▁order ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁enter ▁any ▁port ▁on ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁se ab o ard . ▁They ▁also ▁required ▁a ▁heavy ▁arm ament , ▁in ▁order ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁eng age ▁any ▁host ile ▁iron cl ad ▁on ▁equal ▁terms . ▁Because ▁St os ch ▁en vision ed ▁only ▁local ▁deploy ments ▁for ▁the ▁vessels , ▁they ▁had ▁limited ▁coal ▁st ow age , ▁as ▁they ▁could ▁easily ▁re pl en ish ▁their ▁supply . ▁They ▁never theless ▁introduced ▁two ▁develop ments ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁fleet : ▁they ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁capital ▁ships ▁built ▁with ▁a ▁two - prop eller ▁arrangement ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁without ▁a ▁sail ing ▁rig . ▁ ▁General ▁characteristics ▁and ▁mach in ery ▁▁ ▁The ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁Sachsen ▁class ▁were ▁ ▁long ▁overall . ▁They ▁had ▁a ▁beam ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁a ▁draft ▁of ▁ ▁forward ▁and ▁ ▁a ft . ▁At ▁the ▁designed ▁disp lacement , ▁the ▁vessels ▁disp la ced ▁. ▁When ▁the ▁vessels ▁were ▁fully ▁loaded , ▁they ▁disp la ced ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁. ▁Their ▁h ull s ▁were ▁built ▁with ▁trans verse ▁bulk head s ▁and ▁double ▁longitud inal ▁iron ▁frames ; ▁iron ▁pl ating ▁covered