Classification
They were the first class of German ships to be officially classified by the Kriegsmarine as Schlachtschiff (battleship). Previous German battleships were classified as Linienschiffe (ships of the line), and Panzerschiffe (armoured ship).
Their adversary, the Royal Navy, rated them as battlecruisers though after the war classified them as battleships. Jane's Fighting Ships 1940 lists both the Scharnhorst and Bismarck classes as "Battleships (Schlachtschiffe)" Another adversary, the United States Navy, rated them as battleships. In English language reference works they are sometimes referred to as battleships and sometimes as battlecruisers.
Read more about this topic: Scharnhorst Class Battleship