sentences:  Discussions between the Design Department of the "Reichsmarineamt" (Imperial Navy Office) and other elements of the naval command on the new class had begun in 1899, before the law had been passed and before work on the "Wittelsbach"s had even begun.The most pressing issue to be settled was the caliber of the main battery.The "Wittelsbach"-class ships were armed with guns, far smaller than the standard in most other navies, which was caliber.