Scharnhorst  The design was a compromise between a Battleship and the a heavy armament Pocket battleship. Built at Wilhelmshaven and laid down on the 16th May 1935, launched 3rd October 1936 and completed 7th January 1939.   (refitted just after completion  with a clipper bow so called a Atlantic Bow increasing the length by 33 feet, (to 770 ft 8 inches) this took until September 1939.  Scharnhorst was torpedoed by a Royal Naval Submarine during the Norwegian campaign, repairs took until October 1940.  After repairs she acted with her sister ship attacking allied shipping between January and March1 1941. During the "Channel dash" on the 12th February 1942 the Scharnhorst (along with Gneisenau) was mined but managed to reach the safety of the German Port.  Her repairs took place at Kiel and were completed in October 1942.  In March 1943 she was transferred to Northern Norway to continue her commerce raiding on Allied shipping, but on the 26th December 1943, while attempting to intercept convoy JW-55B,  she encountered a large British Force of the battleship HMS Duke of York and the cruisers HMS Belfast, HMS Jamaica and HMS Norfolk.  Initially HMS Norfolk engaged the Scharnhorst and a lucky hit knocked out the radar systems of the Scharnhorst.  soon after the Scharnhorst was engaged by the Battleship HMS Duke of York along with the cruisers and was sunk with the loss of 1,803 crew (she had been hit by a number of shells and 14 torpedoes. This engagement took place north east of the North Cape. Tirpitz Passing Through Kiel Canal by Ivan Berryman The Channel Dash by Ivan Berryman  February 1942 and Viz. Admiral Ciliaxs mighty Scharnhorst leads her sister Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen up the English Channel during Operation Cerberus, their daring breakout from the port of Brest on the French Atlantic coast to the relative safety of Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuttel. All three ships survived what became known as the Channel Dash, not without damage, but the operation proved a huge propaganda success for Germany and a crushing embarrassment for the British. A number of torpedo boats are in attendance, including Kondor and Falke and the Z class destroyer Friedrich Ihn in the distance. Atlantic Comrades by Ivan Berryman  The Scharnhorst is pictured in 1939 when she and her sister ship Gneisenau menacingly prowled the North Atlantic. She is shown at dawn as two type VII U-Boats glide towards her for a friendly rendezvous and to take on much needed supplies, as well as a few of the luxuries that the tiny u-boats were simply too small to carry. Attack on the Scharnhorst by Ivan Berryman  Swordfish of 825 Sqn led by Lt-Cdr Esmonde begin their heroic attack on the battlescruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as they make their way up the English Channel from Brest during Operation Cerberus on 12th February 1942.  Although all the aircraft were lost and no significant damage was done to the German fleet, all the pilots were decorated for their bravery and Lt-Cdr Esmonde received the first Fleet Air Arm VC to be awarded, albeit posthumously. U-269 by Ivan Berryman   This limited edition print depicts the Type VIIC U-Boat U269 during an engagement in the English Channel with a B24 Liberator from 224 Squadron based at St Eval in Cornwall.  Prinz Eugen by Ivan Berryman  The heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen slips quietly through the waters of Kiel Harbour as one of her own Arado Ar.196s flies overhead. In the background, Bismarck, wearing her Baltic camouflage, is alongside taking on supplies Operation Cerberus, Channel Dash by Ivan Berryman   February 1942 and Viz. Admiral Ciliax's mighty Scharnhorst leads her sister Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen up the English Channel during 'Operation Cerberus', their daring breakout from the port of Brest on the French Atlantic coast to the relative safety of Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuttel. All three ships survived what became known as the Channel Dash, not without damage, but the operation proved a huge propaganda success for Germany and a crushing embarrassment for the British. A number of torpedo boats are in attendance, including Kondor and Falke and the Z class destroyer Friedrich Ihn in the distance.

U-269   U269 had been commissioned in July 1942 and now belonged to the 6th U-Boat Flotilla based at the occupied French port of St Nazaire. Sea trials of new equipment during April and May 1944 had resulted in U269 moving to the port of Brest and it was from here that her commander Oberleutnant Georg Uhl, began a patrol on 6th June. In the early hours of the morning of 11th June U269 was detected on the surface by Liberators radar approximately six miles away. The aircraft, commanded by F/L J Posnett, made visual contact shortly afterwards and began a depth charge attack during which time she wasa engaged by 20mm and 37mm anti-aircraft fire from the submarine. The Liberator's outer starboard engine was hit as was the fuselage and some control surfaces. The damage was sufficient to prevent all but one of the depth charges from releasing and the U-Boat sustained no damage. The Liberators crew dealt with an onboard fire and jettisoned the remaining depth charges and the aircraft slowly regained height and eventually returned safely to base. Having survived this attack U269 was attacked and sunk by the Frigate HMS Bickerton two weeks later. Thirty three of the crew were saved but the casualties included the commander.

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