Description
Gneisenau’s keel was laid down in 1935 and launched in December 1936, entering service with the German Kriegsmarine in May 1938. The ship was 235 m long, 30 m wide, a full displacement of 38,900 tons and a top speed of around 30-31 knots. The main armament was 9 280 mm (11 inch guns) in three triple turrets, and the secondary armament included: 12 150 mm guns or 14 105 mm guns.
Inferior to the artillery firepower of the Royal Navy’s battleships, the ship was built primarily for cruiser service – so not to engage in open combat with British heavy ships, but rather to sink Allied merchant shipping, which was well suited to. Shortly after launching, Gneisenau underwent modernization consisting in increasing its seaworthiness, with an Atlantik bow, changing the funnel profile and minor changes to the electrical installation. The baptism of the Gneisenau took place in April 1940, in supporting the landing of German forces in Norway. From December 1940 to March 1941 – together with his twin Scharnhorst, conducted commerce raiding duties in the north Atlantic, resulting in 8 merchant ships being sunk. In February 1942, together with Scharnhorst and the cruiser Prinz Eugen, he took part in the Channel Dash from Brest to Kiel, during this voyage he was seriously damaged by a mine, with further damage inflicted by subsequent bombing raids on Kiel. The battleship was then towed to Gdynia. In July 1942 – in the face of very heavy damage – a decision was made to withdraw the ship from service. The ship was sunk by the Germans in March 1945 at the exit from the port in Gdynia. By 1951, the entire wreckage of the battleship was dismantled or recovered from the sea.
Being the Deluxe edition the kit comes complete with extensive photo-etch, and turned brass gun barrels and masts.
