Description
Scharnhorst’s keel was laid in 1935 and launched in October 1936, entering service with the German Kriegsmarine in January 1939. Measuring 235 meters long, and 30 meters wide, the ship had a full displacement of 38,900 tons and a top speed was around 31-32 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.
Although inferior to the artillery firepower of the Royal Navy battleships, the ship was built primarily for cruiser service – so it was not to engage in open combat with British heavy ships, but rather to fight British merchant shipping, which was well suited to. The ship had been designed to accommodate 15″ guns at a later date, though with wartime restrictions, this did not come to pass. The first actions during World War II took place as early as 1939, when Scharnhorst acted in the Iceland region against British merchant shipping. In 1940, the ship supported German landings in Norway and took part in the sinking of the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious. From December 1940 to March 1941 – along with his twin Gneisenau – he performed a cruising service in the Atlantic, during which he sank 8-9 merchant ships. In February 1942, together with Scharnhorst and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, the ship took part in the Channel Dash sailing from Brest to Wilhelmshaven. During this voyage it was seriously damaged by a mine, resulting in being laid up for 8 months.
The Scharnhorst’s final action was the Battle of North Cape where she was lured by the Royal Navy from his lair in northern Norway, to intercept a convoy of Allied merchant ships. However, unbeknown to German High Command, the Allies had set a trap and was intercepted by a large British naval force led by Admiral Fraser in the the battleship HMS Duke of York, which included HMS Belfast, which assisted by radar and facing overwhelming firepower from the British fleet, she was sunk on boxing Day 1943 with the loss of 1,932 souls.
The sinking of Scharnhorst marked a significant victory for the Allies, as it eliminated a major threat to their shipping lanes in the North Atlantic, as well as highlighting the effectiveness of coordinated Allied naval operations in countering powerful German naval assets.
Scharnhorst’s role in the Battle of the North Cape is a notable episode in naval history and serves as a reminder of the challenges and sacrifices on both sides during World War II’s naval campaigns.
Being the Deluxe edition the kit comes complete with extensive photo-etch, and turned brass gun barrels and masts.
