Scharnhorst Fast Battleship (32 knots - Fastest German BB!)
FAST BATTLESHIPS - 1939 Channel Dash Legends! - 2 ships: SCHARNHORST, GNEISENAU. FASTEST GERMAN BATTLESHIPS! (32 knots!). 38,900 tons full load, 9× 28cm (11") guns in 3× triple turrets (originally planned 6× 38cm, never converted!). Hybrid propulsion (steam turbines + diesel). 8,800 nm range. SANK HMS GLORIOUS (aircraft carrier, June 8, 1940) with LONGEST GUNNERY HIT EVER (26,465 yards / 24.2 km!). Operation Berlin (1941): 22 merchant ships sunk! CHANNEL DASH (Operation Cerberus, February 11-13, 1942): Escaped Brest → Germany in DAYLIGHT, evaded 242 bomber attacks + Royal Navy! "Greatest British naval humiliation since 1667!" Scharnhorst: Battle of North Cape (December 26, 1943), sunk by HMS Duke of York (only 36 survivors). Gneisenau: Bombed Kiel 1942, deactivated, guns removed, scuttled 1945. LEGENDARY!
Specifications
- Displacement (std)
- 32100 t
- Displacement (full)
- 38900 t
- Length
- 771 ft
- Beam
- 98.4 ft
- Crew
- 1968 (60 officers + 1908 men)
- Ships built
- 2
- Commissioned
- 1939 (January 7, 1939 & May 21, 1938)
- Decommissioned
- 1943-1945 (Scharnhorst sunk 1943, Gneisenau scrapped 1947)
Performance
- Top speed
- 31 kn
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
- T4
- Game power
- 80.92
- Research cost
- 28,484
- Credit cost
- 56,644
Notable
- **FASTEST GERMAN BATTLESHIPS!** (32 knots!)
- **SANK HMS GLORIOUS!** (Aircraft carrier, June 8, 1940!)
- **LONGEST GUNNERY HIT EVER!** (26,465 yards / 24.2 km!)
- **CHANNEL DASH!** (Operation Cerberus, February 11-13, 1942!)
- 32,100 tons standard, 38,900 tons full load
- 2 ships built (Scharnhorst, Gneisenau)
- 9× 28cm (11") guns in 3× triple turrets (unusual choice!)
- Originally planned for 6× 38cm (15") guns (never converted!)
- Hybrid propulsion: Steam turbines + diesel engines
- 165,000 shp turbines (32 knots maximum speed!)
- 8,800 nm range at 19 knots (diesel cruise)
- Thick armor: 350mm belt, 360mm turrets (despite high speed!)
- Commissioned 1938-1939 (Gneisenau first: May 21, 1938)
- Both ships: Operation Weserübung (Norway invasion, April 1940)
- Scharnhorst damaged by HMS Renown (April 9, 1940)
- **SANK HMS GLORIOUS** (June 8, 1940) + 2 destroyers!
- Scharnhorst hit at **26,465 yards** (LONGEST ever!)
- Scharnhorst torpedoed by HMS Acasta (600+ casualties)
- Operation Berlin (January-March 1941): **22 merchant ships sunk!**
- **CHANNEL DASH** (February 11-13, 1942): Brest → Germany in DAYLIGHT!
- British humiliation: Evaded 242 bomber attacks + Royal Navy!
- Called "greatest British naval humiliation since 1667"!
- Scharnhorst: **Battle of North Cape** (December 26, 1943)
- Scharnhorst: Sunk by HMS Duke of York + destroyers (only 36 survivors)
- Gneisenau: Bombed in Kiel (February 1942), never returned to service
- Gneisenau: Deactivated, guns removed for coastal batteries
- Gneisenau: Scuttled as blockship Gdynia 1945, scrapped 1947-1951
- Last major German surface action (Battle of North Cape)
- Designed for commerce raiding - fast, long range, powerful!