When both "Bayern" and "Baden" struck mines in 1917, the damage incurred revealed structural weaknesses caused by the torpedo tubes and both ships had their lateral tubes removed. The torpedoes were the H8 type, which were long and carried a 210 kg (463 lb) Hexanite warhead. The torpedoes had a range of when set at a speed of ; at a reduced speed of , the range increased significantly to . The "Bayern"-class ships were protected with Krupp cemented steel armor, as was the standard for German warships of the period. They had an armor belt that was thick in the central citadel of the ship, where the most important parts of the ship were located. This included the ammunition magazines and the machinery spaces. The belt was reduced in less critical areas, to forward and aft. The bow and stern were not protected by armor at all. A -thick torpedo bulkhead ran the length of the hull, several meters behind the main belt. The main armored deck was thick in most places, though the thickness of the sections that covered the more important areas of the ship was increased to . The forward conning tower was protected with heavy armor: the sides were thick and the roof was 170 mm thick. The rear conning tower was less well armored; its sides were only 170 mm thick and the roof was covered with of armor plate. The main battery gun turrets were also heavily armored: the turret sides were 350 mm thick and the roofs were 200 mm thick. The 15 cm guns had 170 mm thick armor plating on the casemates; the guns themselves had 80 mm thick shields to protect their crews from shell splinters. "Sachsen"s armor layout was modified slightly as a result of the planned diesel engine, which was significantly taller than a turbine. A glacis over the diesel was added that was 200 mm thick on the sides, thick on either end, and 80 mm thick on top. Her belt was also slightly modified, with extending past the forward 200 mm thick section all the way to the stem. The class was planned to include four ships. was built by Howaldtswerke in Kiel under construction number 590; she was laid down in 1913, launched on 18 February 1915, and completed on 15 July 1916. was built by the Schichau shipyard in Danzig, under construction number 913. The ship was launched on 30 October 1915 and commissioned into the fleet on 14 March 1917.