The Battleship Scharnhorst

A beautifully detailed study of the World War II German battleship that sparred with the British Royal Navy from 1939–43. The Scharnhorst was the lead ship of one of the most active classes of German capital ships. She often operated with her sister Gneisenau early in World War II, including on raids against Atlantic merchant shipping. In 1940, during the invasion of Norway, they sank the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and her escort destroyers. In early 1943, Scharnhorst was sent to Norway to hunt the Arctic convoys. On one such sortie in December 1943, the German battleship was intercepted by HMS Duke of York and her escorts, which sank Scharnhorst in the Battle of the North Cape. Most of her crew was lost. This is the most comprehensive examination of Scharnhorst ever published, drawing on new research and technology. It includes a complete set of detailed line drawings with fully descriptive keys and full-colour 3D artwork, supported by technical details and an account of the battleship’s construction and service.