Gneisenau Fast Battleship (32 knots - Channel Dash Survivor!)
CHANNEL DASH SURVIVOR - 1938 Bombed into Oblivion! - Sister to Scharnhorst (commissioned May 21, 1938 - FIRST of class!). 38,900 tons, 32 KNOTS (fastest German BB!), 9× 28cm (11") guns. Hybrid propulsion (8,800 nm range!). Norway ops, sank HMS GLORIOUS (June 8, 1940) with Scharnhorst! Operation Berlin (1941): 22 merchant ships sunk! CHANNEL DASH (February 11-13, 1942): Escaped Brest → Germany in DAYLIGHT, survived 242 bomber attacks + hit mine! "Greatest British humiliation since 1667!" RAF BOMBING (February 26-27, 1942) Kiel: DIRECT HIT! Forward magazine fire, bow destroyed, 116 dead! DEACTIVATED July 1942 - never repaired! Guns removed for Norway coastal batteries. Scuttled blockship Gdynia (March 27, 1945). Scrapped 1947-1951. INGLORIOUS END! (vs Scharnhorst's glory!) Proved battleships vulnerable to air power! END OF GERMAN CAPITAL SHIP OFFENSIVE!
Specifications
- Displacement (std)
- 32100 t
- Displacement (full)
- 38900 t
- Length
- 753.9 ft
- Beam
- 98.4 ft
- Crew
- 1968 (60 officers + 1908 men)
- Ships built
- 1 (second Scharnhorst-class, sister to Scharnhorst)
- Commissioned
- 1938 (May 21, 1938 - earlier than Scharnhorst!)
- Decommissioned
- 1945 (deactivated 1942, scuttled March 1945)
Performance
- Top speed
- 31 kn
- Range
- 10100 nm at 19 knots
Armament
- Main guns
- "9× 28cm SK C/34 guns" (3× triple turrets - 11-INCH!)
- Secondary guns
- "12× 15cm SK C/28 guns" (4× twin + 4× single turrets)
- Torpedoes
- "6× 53.3cm torpedo tubes" (2× triple mounts)
Armor & Systems
- Belt
- 350mm (13.8 inches - THICK!)
- Deck
- 105mm (4.1 inches)
In-Game
- Tier
- T2
- Game power
- 20.25
- Research cost
- 1,782
- Credit cost
- 14,175
Notable
- **CHANNEL DASH SURVIVOR!** (Legendary escape!)
- Sister ship to Scharnhorst (commissioned May 21, 1938 - FIRST of class!)
- **38,900 tons full load**, **32 KNOTS** (fastest German BB!)
- **9× 28cm (11") guns** in 3× triple turrets
- Hybrid propulsion (steam turbines + diesel engines)
- 8,800 nm range at 19 knots (diesel cruise)
- Operation Weserübung (Norway invasion, April 1940)
- Engaged HMS Renown, both sides damaged (April 9, 1940)
- **SANK HMS GLORIOUS** (June 8, 1940) with Scharnhorst!
- Glorious: Aircraft carrier + 2 destroyers sunk!
- **Operation Berlin** (January-March 1941): 22 merchant ships sunk!
- Brest confinement (March 1941 - February 1942), constant RAF bombing
- **CHANNEL DASH** (Operation Cerberus, February 11-13, 1942!)
- Ran through English Channel in DAYLIGHT (audacious!)
- Survived **242 bomber attacks** + hit mine!
- "**Greatest British naval humiliation since 1667!**"
- **RAF BOMBING** (February 26-27, 1942) - Kiel raid!
- **DIRECT BOMB HIT** - forward magazine fire, bow destroyed!
- **116 dead** in bombing + fire (catastrophic damage!)
- **DEACTIVATED July 1942** - never returned to service!
- Main guns removed for Norwegian coastal batteries (Battery Norge)
- Scuttled as blockship Gdynia (March 27, 1945)
- Scrapped 1947-1951 (inglorious end vs Scharnhorst's glory!)
- Proved battleships vulnerable to air power (fatal lesson!)
- **END OF GERMAN CAPITAL SHIP OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS!**