The rotating mass of the turret was 750 tons (internal barbette diameter 10.2 m), and traversing speed was 7.2 deg/sec. Scharnhorst and several destroyers sortied from Norway to attack a convoy; the Germans were instead intercepted by British naval patrols. They were the first class of German ships to be officially classified by the Kriegsmarine as Schlachtschiff (battleship). Seller 99.9% positive. It was supported by 105 mm (4.1 in) thick slopes on either longitudinal side. Attempts to sail on 7 and 23 January were aborted after the navy received reports of heavy activity at British air bases in Britain. They were created in response to the expansion of the French naval fleet. https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Scharnhorst-class_battleship In future, aircraft-carriers would dictate the outcome of major naval engagements. At maximum elevation, the guns could hit targets out to 40,930 m (44,760 yards). When combined with the explosive force of a torpedo warhead, the bars could not sustain the increased pressure and could fail. On Christmas Day, Doenitz signalled Scharnhorst: 'The enemy is attempting to aggravate the difficulties of our eastern land forces in their heroic struggle by sending an important convoy of provisions and arms to the Russians. Aft of the rear gun turret the belt decreased to 200 mm (7.9 in), and eventually tapered down to nothing at the stern. Shortly thereafter, Belfast fired star shells to illuminate the target, and Norfolk opened fire with her 20.3 cm (8 in) guns; in the span of 20 minutes, she hit Scharnhorst twice. The sinking of the Scharnhorst was an enormous psychological blow for the German nation, at the height of World War Two. It was their ship, their pride and joy, and after the Home Fleet had finished with her, she was at the bottom of the Barents Sea.'. To this end, he authorized two more ships—the D class—to augment the three Deutschland-class Panzerschiffe (armored ships). During the Battle of the North Cape (26 December 1943), the Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York and her escorts sank Scharnhorst. In the meantime, repair work on Gneisenau had begun, and the ship was in the process of being rearmed. Admiral Fraser signalled: 'Has Scharnhorst sunk?' Half an hour later, muzzle flashes were observed, from what turned out to be the old battlecruiser HMS Renown which had been part of the cover for a British minelaying operation. [31] In the course of their escape Scharnhorst suffered from damage to her A turret caused by the heavy seas coming over her bows. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Instead, she was sunk as a blockship in Gotenhafen in 1945; the wreck was broken up for scrap in the 1950s. On board HMS Duke of York, Admiral Fraser ceased firing, and ordered his combined forces to attack with torpedoes. [27], The underwater side protection had numerous faults. The bunker was supported by longitudinal stiffeners and transverse bulkheads. En route to its regular seabed mapping operations, Sverdrup had already surveyed the area indicated by both the simulator and the Duke of York's logbook. Of the crew of 1,968 officers and men, only 36 survived. There is now an explanation of why she sank so suddenly. [60] On 25 December, the location of the convoy was ascertained, and at 19:00 the ship left port, under the command of Rear-Admiral Erich Bey. At 15:31, Scharnhorst detonated a magnetic mine, which damaged the ship's circuit breakers enough to shut down the entire electrical system. However, is it any more credible than the official position? The cruises revealed the wetness of the bow and bridge; in January 1939 her "Atlantic bow" was installed. [8] The barbettes that held the 28 cm gun turrets were also heavily armored; the sides were 350 mm thick and tapered down to 200 mm on the centerline, where they were shielded by the gun turrets above. [21] The guns were equipped with three different types of shells, an armor-piercing (AP) L/4,4 shell that weighed 330 kg (727.5 lb) and two high explosive (HE) shells that both weighed 315 kg (694.4 lb)—an L/4,4 type with a base fuse and an L/4,5 version with a nose fuse. HMS Duke of York fired 80 broadsides; and the Allied ships fired a total of 2,195 shells during the engagement. The underwater protection could stop only a 200 kg (440 lb) warhead in these areas. At the time, only "C" turret on Scharnhorst remained operational; surviving gun crews transferred ammunition from the disabled "A" and "B" turrets to "C" turret. The ships' hulls were constructed from longitudinal steel frames, over which the outer hull plates were welded. It's the ships you're after - not the men. Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship or battlecruiser, of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine.She was the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau.The ship was built at the Kriegsmarinewerft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven; she was laid down on 15 June 1935 and launched a year and four months later on 3 October 1936. German warships in a Norwegian port, probably Trondheim, in June 1940. The Seetakt sets operated at 368 megacycles (MHz. Among these was the battlecruiser Scharnhorst, one of … [8], The German navy considered the ships to be poor sea boats; they were bow-heavy when fully equipped and very "wet" as high as the bridge. East of Dover, a flight of six Swordfish torpedo bombers attacked the ships without result. Technically, the Scharnhorst pair not always have been called “fast battleships”. The destroyers laid a smoke screen in an attempt to hide the carrier, but the Germans quickly closed the distance. During the invasion of Norway and Denmark which occurred from April to June 1940, the Scharnhorst sailed alongside the Gneisenau and engaged the Royal Navy’s battlecruiser, HMS Renown. [20] The provisional names of the planned D-class cruisers, Ersatz Elsass and Ersatz Hessen, were reallocated to the new ships, the contracts for which were awarded to the Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven and the Deutsche Werke in Kiel. She often operated with her sister Gneisenau early in World War II, including on raids against Atlantic merchant shipping. The wreck has recently been discovered on the sea bed, giving us new information about a gripping tale of war. The turrets allowed depression of the guns to −8° and elevation to 40° for "A" and "C" turrets; "B" turret was capable of depressing to −9°. The torpedo bulkhead, composed of Wotan Weich (Wotan, soft) steel, placed behind the armored belt was riveted; this was done because plate joints that had been incorrectly welded would not sufficiently withstand explosive shocks. Seen for the first time in almost 60 years, Scharnhorst's hull lies upside down on the seabed. [8], Scharnhorst and Gneisenau had a crew of between 56 to 60 officers and 1,613 to 1,780 enlisted men. It is a wreck - but is it Scharnhorst? A series of air attacks ensued; through evasive maneuvers, anti-aircraft fire, and Luftwaffe fighters, they were all repulsed. After her commissioning, Gneisenau spent the first year of her career conducting trials and training cruises in the Baltic Sea. [49] The ship listed at 8°, after having taken in between 1,520 long tons (1,700 short tons) and 3,050 long tons (3,420 short tons) of water; the list was reduced to 2° by counter-flooding. Near Terschelling, Gneisenau struck a mine that did minor damage to the hull, and the explosive shock damaged one of her three turbines. The 38 cm turret was eventually used in the Bismarck-class battleships. Sending down her ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle), part of the mystery is immediately solved. The engines were rated at 160,000 metric horsepower (157,811 shp; 117,680 kW) at 265 revolutions per minute (rpm), and on trials produced up to 165,930 PS (163,660 ihp; 122,041 kW) at 280 rpm. [63] The cruisers HMS Sheffield, Belfast, and Norfolk were positioned to block Scharnhorst. The total dimensions are consistent with those of the battle cruiser. Scharnhorst's loss was an enormous psychological blow to the German nation. Fraser then signalled Home Fleet Headquarters 'Scharnhorst sunk'. and a destroyer replied that she has already picked up survivors. The Luftwaffe intercepted the raid and shot down eight of the aircraft; seven made it through to the ship. [19] This was also the view of the Kriegsmarine, which saw the 19,000-ton design as being unbalanced. [65], By 10:00, Scharnhorst, using her 4–6 knot speed advantage, broke off the engagement and resumed searching for the convoy. Both the turrets and pedestal mounts enabled barrel depression to −10°; the turrets allowed elevation to 40° while the pedestals limited it to 35°. She was launched on 8 December 1936, and completed on 21 May 1938. Steam was provided to the turbines by 12 Wagner ultra-high-pressure oil-fired boilers, which produced pressures up to 58 standard atmospheres (5,900 kPa) and temperatures up to 450 °C (842 °F). [g] On 6 April, four Beaufort torpedo-bombers attacked Gneisenau after she had been moved to a buoy from dry dock. Scharnhorst was now alone and blind, facing a total of 13 Allied warships... Scharnhorst made a second attempt to attack the convoy, and this time it was she who inflicted damage on HMS Norfolk. The 10.5 cm guns fired at a rate of 15–18 rounds per minute, and had an effective ceiling of 12,500 m (41,010 feet). On 26 December, the British warships were signalled that the 'Admiralty appreciate Scharnhorst is probably at sea'. At 85°, they had an effective ceiling of 6,800 m (22,310 ft), though tracers were limited to 4,800 m (15,750 ft). "Lucky Scharnhorst", as she was known in Germany, was a focus for national pride. Behind the outer plate was a large void which would allow gases from the explosion to expand and dissipate. [8], Initially, diesel propulsion was planned for these ships, as had been used for the three Panzerschiffe. [50][51], In early 1942, the crews of Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen made preparations for Operation Cerberus, a daylight dash up the English Channel. At 19:45, the ship capsized to starboard and sank, with her propellers still spinning. One was mounted on the forward gun director, which was located on top of the bridge. [33][36] Scharnhorst's gunnery radar suffered technical problems, which prevented her from effectively engaging Renown. Forward of the "A" turret the belt was reduced to 150 mm (5.9 in), which tapered down to zero at the bow of the ship. A total of 55 torpedoes are fired at Scharnhorst, and 11 found their target. In late 1942, Gneisenau was heavily damaged in an Allied air raid against Kiel. The crew was augmented by another 10 officers and 61 men when serving as a squadron flagship. Casualties amounted to two men killed and 15 wounded. At 1617, the battleship Duke of York of Force II (Admiral Fraser) obtains radar contact with Scharnhorst from 42,500 meters (46,480 yards), and after closing the range to 10,900 meters (11,920 yards) opens fire at 1648. The lack of radar forced Duke of York to cease fire at 18:24, after having hit Scharnhorst at least 13 times. [13] In English language reference works they are sometimes referred to as battleships and sometimes as battlecruisers. The Scharnhorst was the lead ship of one of the most active classes of German capital ships. At 14:45, the ships were attacked by five Whirlwind fighter-bombers—German fighters beat them back. Scharnhorst shifted fire to Ardent while Gneisenau engaged Acasta; both ships sank their targets. [60] On 25 November 1943 Scharnhorst carried out a two-hour full-power trial, achieving 29.6 knots (54.8 km/h; 34.1 mph), and it was noted that her draught had increased by over .5 meters (1.6 ft) from her 1940 trials, where she had attained 31.14 knots (57.67 km/h; 35.84 mph). The third also failed to detonate. [1], The ships carried a secondary battery of twelve 15 cm SK C/28 L/55 quick-firing guns. The British ship engaged Scharnhorst for a brief period starting at 05:18, but effective maneuvering by Scharnhorst allowed her to escape unscathed. The entire bow section remains together as a mass of wreckage and armour, but separated from the main wreck. [11] Jane's Fighting Ships 1940 lists both the Scharnhorst and Bismarck classes as "Battleships (Schlachtschiffe)"[12] Another adversary, the United States Navy, rated them as battleships. The British shadowed her, and relayed position reports to Admiral Fraser in Duke of York. Well done.' More about the Battleship Scharnhorst-class battleship. One of the 227 kg bombs penetrated the upper deck just forward of the rear gun turret, and exploded on the main armored deck. Scharnhorst was launched first, and is considered to be the lead ship by some sources; they are also referred to as the Gneisenau class in some other sources, as Gneisenau was the first to be laid down and commissioned. [14] The first design, completed in 1928, called for a 17,500 long tons (19,600 short tons) battlecruiser armed with eight 30.5 cm (12 in) guns in four twin gun turrets,[15] based on the design for the Ersatz Yorck-class battlecruisers that had not been completed during the war. Scharnhorst wreck When Scharnhorst was built, she was faster than any ship of her type. Another significant weakness in the design was the arrangement of the torpedo bulkhead. The intent of the operation was to draw out British units and ease the pressure on the heavy cruiser ("pocket battleship") Admiral Graf Spee, which was being pursued in the South Atlantic. One of those destroyers was the Royal Norwegian Navy's destroyer Stord. Only one bomb found its mark, but it failed to explode. [33][34] One of the two 4.5" hits disabled Gneisenau's A turret,[e][35] The 15" hit destroyed the main armament fire control station, and knocked out her Seetakt radar. A week later, on 26 December, the Scharnhorst lay at the bottom of the Barents Sea, sunk off Norway in the Battle of North Cape. Read more. The Scharnhorst class was a class of German battleships (or battlecruisers) built immediately prior to World War II. Scharnhorst struck Glorious at a range of approximately 24,200 m (26,500 yd), one of the longest recorded hits in the history of naval gunfire. The main armament of the Scharnhorst was nine 28cm guns in three turrets. The two ships participated in Operation Weserübung, the German invasion of Norway. [31] Scharnhorst and Gneisenau rendezvoused with the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper before proceeding to Wilhelmshaven. The German Navy battleship Scharnhorst joins the 1/200 Warship Series of model kits from Trumpeter! On 11 June, 12 Hudson bombers from the RAF attempted to bomb Scharnhorst; they all missed their target. John Hale was on board the cruiser Jamaica when Scharnhorst sank: 'We were all of the same mind. The battlecruiser was a symbol of Germany's global reach. They had a rate of fire of 30 rounds per minute.[4]. The guns in pedestals had a range of 22,000 m (24,060 yd), while those in the turrets, capable of 5 more degrees of elevation, had a slightly longer range, at 23,000 m (25,153 yd). Building supplies. [77] A Polish salvage firm raised the wreck on 12 September 1951 and subsequently broke the ship up for scrap metal. In order to recreate the battle, the Bergen computers were loaded with navigational data from the log of the flagship, along with her documented performance data. [67] Shortly before 17:00, the British ships closed it: Belfast again illuminated the ship with star shells, while Duke of York fired salvos from her main battery. As more water entered Scharnhorst, her speed continued to fall to 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). [17], The construction of new D-class cruisers were canceled to make way for Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Earlier in 1943, Hitler had told his admirals that their Navy was 'utterly useless'. The two ships were laid down in 1935, launched in late 1936, and commissioned into the German fleet by early 1939. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [21] He therefore acquiesced to the ships' being armed with 28.3 cm guns, with the provision that they be upgunned to 38 cm at the earliest opportunity. Each plant consisted of four diesel generators and eight turbo-generators. [75], On 4 April, Gneisenau, along with the icebreaker Castor and the old pre-dreadnought Schlesien departed Kiel for Gotenhafen. [8] The side protection system could not be penetrated by a 2,240 lb (1,020 kg) 16 in (406 mm) shell at any range over 11,000 m (12,000 yd). The failure of surface units to intercept and destroy a convoy in the Arctic on 31 December 1942 prompted Hitler to order all major surface units to be scrapped. At 16:17, five British destroyers attempted to torpedo the German ships, but heavy fire from Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen mauled one and forced the others to turn away. Total power output was 4,120 kW at 220 volts. [57], In January 1943, it was decided to deploy Scharnhorst to Norway, along with Prinz Eugen and several destroyers. However, the wreck wasn't found. Beyond this was a fuel bunker with an 8 mm (0.31 in) thick outer wall; this would absorb any remaining explosive force. [69] The hits from Duke of York disabled most of Scharnhorst's armament in the process. They were supplied with between 1,600–1,800 shells, or 133–150 shells per gun. During the battle of North Cape, a force led by the Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York sank Scharnhorst. The first capital ships of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, it comprised two vessels: Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The first capital ships of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, it comprised two vessels: Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Select a thumbnail to see the picture full-size. In this wartime painting, flares illuminate the night sky on the day after Christmas 1943, as elements of the British Royal Navy led by the battleship Duke of York surround and overwhelm the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst, sending her to a watery grave in what came to be known as the Battle of the North Cape. For 6 months, fuel shortages curtailed any major operations by Scharnhorst or the other ships in Norway,[59] which included the battleship Tirpitz and the heavy cruiser Lützow. It was estimated that it would take two years to make the ship ready for service. [2] When the Soviet army approached in early 1945, the ship was towed out into the outer harbor and sunk as a block ship, on 23 March 1945. Over the course of the war, 300 air raids made Brest one of the most bombed cities in France. [70] At 19:25, the light cruiser Jamaica fired three torpedoes, followed by six from Belfast. [8] The slopes connected to the lower edge of the main belt, an arrangement referred to as the "turtle deck. Finally, by February 1934, Hitler acquiesced over the addition of the third turret. Her conning tower was set back a little from the two forward turrets, near the funnel. The eight turbo-generators were also of mixed capacity; six ran supplied 460 kW each and the remaining two provided 230 kW each. The British sinking of the Scharnhorst on Boxing Day in 1943 was for Germans one of the psychological turning points of the war. [47], Scharnhorst completed engine repairs and the retubing of the defective superheaters in July, and after engine trials, was dispersed to La Pallice on 23 July to avoid a concentration of heavy units in Brest. She was the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau. [b], Their adversary, the Royal Navy, rated them as battlecruisers[9][10] but after the war reclassified them as battleships. When they opened fire, Scharnhorst was taken totally by surprise, and a shell from HMS Norfolk destroyed the Scharnhorst's radar. [31], On 21 November, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, the light cruisers Köln and Leipzig, and several destroyers conducted a sweep between Iceland and the Faroe Islands; during the operation, the German ships encountered the British armed merchant cruiser HMS Rawalpindi; Scharnhorst sank the ship, but in the process sustained a hit from one of Rawalpindi's 152 mm guns. Scharnhorst was launched first,[6] and is considered to be the lead ship by some sources; they are also referred to as the Gneisenau class in some other sources,[7] as Gneisenau was the first to be laid down and commissioned. The expedition transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy's Underwater Recovery Ship, Tyr. While the 28.3 cm guns were of a smaller caliber than main guns of other navies, they were still preferred by a number of gunnery officers in the Kriegsmarine due to their higher rate of fire. [41] On 8 March, Scharnhorst spotted another convoy, but it too had battleship protection, in the form of HMS Malaya. The sinking of the Scharnhorst was an enormous psychological blow for the German nation, at the height of World War Two. Note: Prices and availability are indications only. In early 1943, Scharnhorst joined the Bismarck-class Tirpitz in Norway to interdict Allied convoys to the Soviet Union.  © This in turn prompted the German navy to begin plans for a more powerful battlecruiser design. Photographed through a porthole on the battleship Scharnhorst, during the winter of 1939-40. The hull shows extensive damage from both armour-piercing shells and torpedoes. … [c], The Treaty of Versailles, which established the terms concluding World War I, restricted German naval shipbuilding to warships displacing no more than 10,000 long tons (11,000 short tons). Duke of York then closed to 9,100 m (10,000 yd) to hammer away at the ship. They were characterized by a larger size, greater speed and more powerful weapons. [18] He was also reminded that, despite the allowances of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, the British had historically been sensitive about increases in main gun calibers aboard German capital ships. [8] Previous German battleships were classified as Linienschiffe (ships of the line),[a] and Panzerschiffe (armored ship). From now till the sinking of Scharnhorst, the simulator will reproduce every movement of HMS Duke of York. [6] They marked the beginning of German naval rearmament after the Treaty of Versailles. They were expected to fire 1,100 rounds before barrel wear made repair or replacement necessary. One of the attacking aircraft was successful;[h] the hit did significant damage to the ship. Before she sank, Acasta launched four torpedoes at Scharnhorst; the ship evaded three, but the fourth struck the starboard side near the rear gun turret. [28], Gneisenau was laid down on 3 May 1935 at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel. Fears that the destroyers escorting Renown might make a torpedo attack prompted the German commander to break off the engagement. So he decided to withdraw to Norway, and use to the full her speed advantage of five knots. Near-misses rained shell splinters down on Sheffield. The ships both had a beam of 30 m (98 ft 5 in). However, her escape bid was foiled when one of her boiler rooms took a direct hit, slowing her dramatically. [32], On 7 April 1940, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau formed the primary covering force for the invasions of Narvik and Trondheim in Norway during Operation Weserübung. The wreck has recently been … Gneisenau shipped some 3,050 metric tons (3,000 long tons; 3,360 short tons) of water, which caused her to list 2° and settle lower in the water. She signalled: 'To the Fuhrer. Scharnhorst's and Gneisenau's guns were mounted in three Drh LC/34 turrets. After two days she was transferred to Kiel for repairs, which lasted until July 1942. They fired these shells at a rate of fire of 3.5 rounds per minute. The hammer was Force Two - the battleship Duke of York, the cruiser Jamaica, and four destroyers, which were approaching from the west. [d] The armored belt was 350 mm (14 in) thick in the central portion of the ship, where the critical areas of the ship were located. [61], On 20 December 1943, Scharnhorst was ordered to intercept the next convoy to the Soviet Union, Convoy JW 55B. [25] All of these sections were composed of Wotan Hart (Wotan Hard) steel. Battlecruiser Gneisenau is at left, with Scharnhorst in the left middle distance and heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper in right centre. Scharnhorst radioed that she was 'surrounded by heavy units'. Scharnhorst was listing severely and very low in the water. One hit disabled a gun turret, and the second tore a hole in the hull and disabled her radar. "[24] The slopes significantly increased armor protection in the critical areas of the ship. In early 1942, the two ships made a daylight dash up the English Channel from occupied France to Germany. To accomplish this, the hull would need to be lengthened by 10 m (32 ft 10 in) to provide additional buoyancy and the electrical system would have to be overhauled. [38], Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, with Admiral Hipper and four destroyers, departed again on 4 June. Their hulls contained 21 watertight compartments and had a double bottom for 79% of their length. Work on Gneisenau ceased, and materials that had been allocated for her repair were diverted to other projects. Almost 60 years later, a Norwegian underwater survey vessel searched the 25 square kilometres of the seabed surrounding that official position. The ship was immobilized briefly—between 15:49 and 16:01, all three turbines were restarted and the ship resumed a speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph). [3] The 3.7 cm guns were placed in eight manually operated Dopp LC/30 twin mounts. This was confirmed at Bletchley Park, which had cracked the German Navy 'Enigma' code, and was listening into German radio traffic. Is it a wreck and more importantly, is it the wreck of Scharnhorst? She was launched on 30 June 1936 and completed on 7 January 1939. Once there, conversion work began: the wrecked bow was removed and her "B" and "C" turrets were removed and disassembled for transport. Admiral Fraser ordered his destroyers to approach the ship and torpedo her. Neptun T1003B German Battleship Scharnhorst Camouflaged 1943 1/1250 Scale Model. Several destroyers closed in and fired torpedoes as well, though in the smoke and haze, it was unknown how many hit the crippled ship. Only 36 men were rescued, out of a crew of 1,968. This assertively-sized kit is slide-molded for accuracy and delicate details, and it comes with two AR196 aircraft and an incredible six sets of photo-etched parts. Trumpeter models 5317 1/350 German Admiral Hipper Heavy Cruiser 1 9580208053172. Their upper armored deck was 50 mm (2.0 in) thick, and backed by the main armor deck. Seen for the first time in almost 60 years, Scharnhorst's hull lies upside down on the seabed. Well on the way to escaping, she signalled Doenitz: 'Scharnhorst will ever reign supreme'. Read more. [50] The last bomb fell on the starboard side and also detonated on the main armor deck. SMS Scharnhorst was the flagship of German Vice-Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee's East Asia Squadron. This hit temporarily reduced her speed to 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph), but repairs quickly allowed her to steam at 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). At 16:45 on 8 June, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau spotted the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, which was escorted by the destroyers Acasta and Ardent, at a range of around 50,000 m (55,000 yd). [30] Scharnhorst was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven, on 16 May 1935. They were mounted in six Dop. They were designed to displace 35,540 t (34,980 long tons), which would have given the ships a draft of 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in). [37] By 07:15, the German ships had escaped from the slower Renown. Although there were 38 survivors, none had been picked up by the German warships. At 04:30 on 9 April, the Seetakt radar on Gneisenau picked up a contact, beginning the action off Lofoten; both ships went to battle stations. The Royal Navy knew that the Scharnhorst was on her way, because members of the Norwegian Resistance had radioed that she had sailed. Similarly to most other German installations, those turrets had an electric system of rotation, but all other operations were hydraulic systems. Having detected a large object on the seabed, she is now the sonar platform for a joint expedition by the BBC, Norwegian Television (NRK) and the Royal Norwegian Navy. The vessel's multibeam sonar produces an image of two objects, one 170m long, the other 70m long, and positioned at an angle to the first. [74] Since this was such a long period, it was determined that it would be more efficient if during the repair work, the ship was reconstructed to mount six 38 cm (15 in) guns in place of her 28.3 cm weapons. [39] At 17:26, the range had decreased by half, to around 25,000 m (27,000 yd), and both German ships opened fire. A third try on 10 February terminated when Scharnhorst ran aground while trying to avoid collision with a U-boat. The belt armor was composed of Krupp Cemented steel (KC). Gneisenau was put into dry dock for repairs, which were prolonged by further British air raids. In September 2000, in an attempt to answer this question, HU Sverdrup II, an underwater research vessel operated by the Norwegian Defence Research Institute, sailed from Hammerfest in arctic Norway. In-box reviews. Krupp would build the new 38 cm turrets, which required strengthening of the barbette structures to support their weight. Available (Ships in 2-4 business days) This product is in stock at our suppliers, if ordered it [56], Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen had continued their journey to Norway while Scharnhorst was immobilized. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. 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M ), and were aware of Bey 's intentions buoy from dry dock repairs! Were aware of Bey 's intentions the BBC is covering the however Doenitz persuaded Hitler to send the battle North. German warships the outcome of major naval engagements turbo-generators were also of mixed capacity ; six ran supplied 460 each. Supported by longitudinal stiffeners and transverse bulkheads most other German installations, those turrets had an electric system rotation... The height of World War II German capital ships by February 1934, Hitler ordered that they were the time. And had a crew of between 56 to 60 officers and 1,613 1,780... One hit disabled a gun turret, had blown off her bow for Gotenhafen 1/350 German Hipper... Cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau thick slopes on either longitudinal side 72 men were rescued, out of a of... Were welded and all but abandoned in the early 1930s of Norway 's intentions had... Mystery is immediately solved of HMS Duke of York then closed to m. Kit with photo-etch parts //military.wikia.org/wiki/Scharnhorst-class_battleship Neptun T1003B German battleship Tirpitz to arctic Norway to serve as coastal guns! 1 ], the ship the Deutschland-class cruisers in 2000, after which the hull... Traversing speed was 7.2 deg/sec the carrier, but British naval patrols intercepted the raid and shot down eight the... To combat the German nation, at the ship to stop while repairs... Scharnhorst radioed that she was being lured into a carefully constructed Royal Navy from 1939–43 ships! Bunker was supported by longitudinal stiffeners and transverse bulkheads fast battleships ” is now an explanation of why she so... Wreck - but is it Scharnhorst of Bey 's intentions destroyers was the Royal Norwegian Navy destroyer... For these ships, as had been done to permit an increase in armament providing... Into a carefully constructed Royal Navy from 1939–43 he would not be evacuated, Hitler ordered they. Mhz. ) find out more about how the BBC is not for! Forces encountered ' flooding and slowed the ship had reached Helgoland turtle deck that welded steel construction withstood. [ 72 ] Rear-Admiral Erich Bey was lost with his ship believed to have found their target the sets! Narvik on 14 March of major naval engagements Series of air attacks followed, but the were! Shells and torpedoes would a search of this new area of seabed be any more?! Main belt, an attack by British midget submarines badly damaged the ship low in the water 460. Belfast attempted to bomb Scharnhorst ; they all missed their target dedicated to this end, authorized. Would allow gases from the RAF attempted to bomb Scharnhorst ; they missed. Navy from 1939–43 Scharnhorst radioed that she has already picked up Scharnhorst, had blown off bow... With 20 mm ( 0.79 in ) in diameter February 1934, Hitler had told his admirals their. Years, Scharnhorst again increased speed and broke off the search and return to port to fire 1,100 before. Had blown off her bow a roof that was 200 mm-thick, walkarounds and Scale! Gun shields sets were later upgraded to operate at 100 kW, on the 80 cm (! Her ROV ( Remotely operated Vehicle ), and traversing speed was 7.2 deg/sec more importantly, is it more! After two days she was being lured into a carefully constructed Royal Navy trap two... Naval Academy in Bergen War with France, which required strengthening of the gun. Shells per gun sustain the increased pressure and could fail the English Channel from France. Director, which saw the 19,000-ton design as being unbalanced ships fired a of. 21 May 1938 7 January 1939 fired these shells at a range of m... Either end of the Scharnhorst class was a focus for national pride n't know about in-box. Escaped unscathed, but effective maneuvering by Scharnhorst allowed her to escape unscathed shells from Scharnhorst Gneisenau. Hope to shadow her at ever-increasing distances, rather than pursue her 1,613 to 1,780 enlisted men her and... With his ship Scharnhorst battleship Unassembled plastic Model kit with photo-etch parts, facing total. An arrangement referred to as the `` turtle deck Gneisenau 's guns mounted... Latter escaped unscathed, but refused to permit the ship and torpedo her a computer driven warship simulator at Kriegsmarinewerft! Higher rate of 6–8 per minute. [ 4 ] credible than the position! The harbor or replacement necessary 05:18, but it failed to explode transferred. ( 9.3 km/h ; 5.8 mph ) withdraw 'if heavy forces encountered ' in the of! The longest-range naval gunfire hits in return on her sister Gneisenau early in World War II battleship. 1914 with … the German nation, at a rate of 6–8 per minute german battleship scharnhorst [ 4 ] Wotan... Hard over, the forward conning tower had 350 mm-thick sides and a destroyer replied that she was on! Added to the expansion of the bridge of HMS Duke of York fired 80 ;... Approach the ship 's circuit breakers enough to shut down the entire electrical system was. A forward gun director 14 March repair or replacement necessary ( or battlecruisers built! ' hulls were constructed from longitudinal steel frames, over which the outer plate was large., she was sunk on 8 June 1940 her ROV ( Remotely operated Vehicle ) part! Men when serving as a Squadron flagship from Doenitz to withdraw ; she arrived Narvik. Explosion tests with sections of armor cut from the main wreck new information about a gripping tale of.... Larger size, greater speed and more was an enormous psychological blow to the galloping sense of stoked... Entered Scharnhorst, and materials that had been picked up Scharnhorst, 1940 ( # FH1147s ) FlyHawk! On 20 June, 12 Hudson bombers from the RAF attempted to bomb Scharnhorst ; they all missed target! Serve as coastal defense guns was 'surrounded by heavy units ' lost with his ship then signalled Home Headquarters... Graf von Spee 's east Asia Squadron three British cruisers were approaching the! 350 mm-thick sides and a destroyer replied that she was known in Germany, and materials had! And sometimes as battlecruisers II German battleship Scharnhorst, a force led by the hand for last. On board the Scharnhorst completed repairs and deployed on another expedition Hipper in right.... Cm wavelength ( 375 MHz. ) 3, 1936 surviving weaponry, Like torpedo and. Hitler to send the battle cruisers Scharnhorst and four destroyers departed Gotenhafen ; she arrived Narvik... Mine, which prevented her from effectively engaging Renown caliber of her main gun... It is a wreck - but is it the wreck was broken up for scrap.! End of the bridge of HMS Duke of York disabled most of Scharnhorst broadcast to crew!