Scharnhorst

The Scharnhorst, battle cruiser of the Kriegsmarine, was launched on October 3, 1936 at Wilhelmshaven. Accompanied by the Gneisenau, another Scharnhorst-class ship, it operated first in Norwegian waters and the Atlantic, targeting Allied convoys. From 1942, he took refuge in the Norwegian fjords to avoid air attacks. However, on December 26, 1943, she was destroyed and sunk by the Royal Navy near North Cape while on a mission. Named after Prussian General Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst, the ship had played a significant role in World War II, participating in major sea battles. Despite her speed and power which had caused concern among the British, the Scharnhorst could not escape her tragic fate.