Die Geschichte der deutschen Schlachtschiffe der Scharnhorst Klasse. Schlachtschiffe der Kriegsmarine während des zweiten Weltkrieges.

History of the German Battleships of the Scharnhorst class Pocket battleships of the German Navy during world war 2.

Scharnhorst.

The design was a compromise between a Battleship and the a heavy armament Pocket battleship. Built at Wilhelmshaven and laid down on the 16th May 1935, launched 3rd October 1936 and completed 7th January 1939.   (refitted just after completion  with a clipper bow so called a Atlantic Bow increasing the length by 33 feet, (to 770 ft 8 inches) this took until September 1939.  Scharnhorst was torpedoed by a Royal Naval Submarine during the Norwegian campaign. repairs took until October 1940.  After repairs she acted with her sister ship attacking allied shipping between January and Mrch1 1941. During the "Channel dash" on the 12th February 1942 the Scharnhorst (along with Gneisenau were mined but managed to reach the safety of the German Port.  her repairs took place at Kiel and were completed in October 1942.  In March 1943 she was transferred to Northern Norway to continue her commerce raiding on Allied shipping, But on the 26th December 1943, while attempting to intercept convoy JW-55B.  she encountered a large British Force of the battleship HMS Duke of York and the cruisers HMS Belfast, HMS Jamaica and HMS Norfolk.  Initially HMS Norfolk engaged the Scharnhorst and a lucky hit knocked out the radar systems of the Scharnhorst.  soon after the Scharnhorst was engaged by the Battleship HMS Duke of York along with the cruisers and was sunk with the loss of 1,803 crew (she had been hit by a number of shells and 14 torpedoes. This engagement took place north east of the North Cape.

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Scharnhorst, 1939.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP5492

The Gneisenau sister ship to the Scharnhorst, was a Battlecruiser, Built in 1938, with a compliment of 1800. Her top speed was 31 knots and she had an armament of  Nine 11-inch guns and Twelve 6-inch guns, with a secondary armament of fourteen  4-inch guns and sixteen  1.5 inch AA Guns, she also carried 6 Torpedo Tubes.

Gneisenau, 1938.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP5493

Gneisenau

The Gneisenau sister ship to the Scharnhorst, was a Battlecruiser, Built in 1938, with a compliment of 1800. Her top speed was 31 knots and she had an armament of  Nine 11-inch guns and Twelve 6-inch guns, with a secondary armament of fourteen  4-inch guns and sixteen  1.5 inch AA Guns, she also carried 6 Torpedo Tubes.