The Scharnhorst class comprised two German capital ships, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in the second half of the 1930s and commissioned in 1938 and 1939 respectively as the first new capital ships built for Germany since the First World War, variously classified as fast battleships or battlecruisers because their armor and armament were lighter relative to their size and high speed than a contemporary full battleship. Armed with nine 28cm guns in three triple turrets and capable of roughly 31 knots, both ships conducted commerce-raiding operations against British shipping in the Atlantic, took part in the German invasion of Norway, and together sank the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious in June 1940. Scharnhorst was sunk by British forces at the Battle of North Cape in December 1943, while Gneisenau, damaged and never fully repaired, was ultimately scuttled as a blockship in 1945.
Facts
Weapon ClassThe Kriegsmarine classified these ships as Schlachtschiff (battleship); the Royal Navy initially rated them as battlecruisers before reclassifying them as battleships after the war, so the classification is named as historically debated rather than settled. Introduced Year Classification
Service Status Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) FAQs
Why is the Scharnhorst class also called the Gneisenau class?
Scharnhorst was launched first, but Gneisenau was laid down and commissioned first, so some sources name the class after her.
Scharnhorst was launched first, and some sources consider her the lead ship of the class, which is why it is usually named after her. Other sources call the pair the Gneisenau class because Gneisenau was the first of the two to be laid down and commissioned. Which name is used depends on whether a source treats launch order or laying down and commissioning order as decisive.
Connections
Associated With
Source Wikipedia: Scharnhorst-Class Battleship
Operated By
Source Wikipedia: Scharnhorst-Class Battleship
Used In
Source Wikipedia: Scharnhorst-Class Battleship
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Scharnhorst-Class Battleship
WikipediaLede, sentence 1
The Scharnhorst class was a class of German battleships (or battlecruisers) built immediately prior to World War II.
- Weapon class classified from the entity's own sourced description text.
- Correction: a class of capital ships, not aircraft.
Lead
During the battle of North Cape, a force led by the Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York sank Scharnhorst.
Used In: World War II, Wikipedia article text
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau operated together for the early years of World War II, including sorties into the Atlantic to raid British merchant shipping.
In Group: Battleships and Ironclads, Lead sentence
The Scharnhorst class was a class of German battleships (or battlecruisers) built immediately prior to World War II. The first capital ships of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, it comprised two vessels, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
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