Blücher (1937)

Blücher (1937) was a heavy cruiser of the Kriegsmarine, the second of five vessels in the Admiral Hipper class. Named for Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, the Prussian field marshal of the Napoleonic Wars, the ship was intended for surface raiding and fleet action. Its career was brief, culminating in its dramatic sinking during the invasion of Norway in Operation Weserübung.

Design and description

The design of *Blücher* followed the specifications of the Washington Naval Treaty and the subsequent Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which limited cruiser displacement to 10,000 tons. Under the direction of the Reichsmarineamt and designers like Admiral Werner Fuchs, the ship was an improved version of the lead ship, *Admiral Hipper*. Its primary armament consisted of eight 20.3 cm SK C/34 guns mounted in four twin gun turrets, two forward and two aft. Secondary batteries included twelve 10.5 cm SK C/33 guns and a suite of 3.7 cm SK C/30 and 2 cm Flak 30 anti-aircraft weapons. Propulsion was provided by three sets of Blohm & Voss steam turbines, driving three shafts, which gave a designed top speed of 32 knots. The ship's protection included an 80 mm thick armored belt and a 50 mm thick armored deck, with the conning tower protected by 150 mm of armor. Its aircraft complement typically consisted of three Arado Ar 196 floatplanes, launched via a catapult amidships.

Construction and career

*Blücher* was ordered on 30 October 1934 and its keel was laid at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel on 15 August 1936. The ship was launched on 8 June 1937, with the christening ceremony performed by Dorothea von Blücher, a descendant of its namesake. After fitting out, it was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 20 September 1939, just weeks after the outbreak of World War II. Its first commander was Kapitän zur See Heinrich Woldag. Following a rushed working-up period in the Baltic Sea, *Blücher* was assigned to Group 5 for the invasion of Norway, tasked with seizing the capital, Oslo. The ship served as the flagship for the operation's naval commander, Konteradmiral Oskar Kummetz. On 8 April 1940, *Blücher* departed Swinemünde with troops from the 163rd Infantry Division and administrative personnel, including officials for the occupation government like Joseph Terboven.

Fate

In the early hours of 9 April 1940, *Blücher* led the German flotilla into the Oslofjord. The ship attempted to force the narrows at Drøbak, passing the Oscarsborg Fortress. The aging coastal fort, commanded by Oberst Birger Eriksen, opened fire with its 28 cm and 15 cm Krupp guns, scoring two devastating hits on the cruiser. Almost simultaneously, torpedoes from the fortress's underwater torpedo battery struck *Blücher* amidships. The hits ignited fires that spread to the aircraft hangar and a munitions magazine, and severed vital power lines for the firefighting systems. The burning and flooding ship lost power and steering, drifting before capsizing and sinking at approximately 07:30 hours. The sinking resulted in significant loss of life, with estimates ranging from 600 to 1,000 sailors and soldiers killed, though many, including Admiral Kummetz, were rescued. The loss of *Blücher* delayed the German capture of Oslo by several hours but did not ultimately prevent the success of Operation Weserübung. The wreck remains on the seabed near Askholmen island, designated as a war grave. Category:Admiral Hipper-class cruisers Category:World War II cruisers of Germany Category:Ships sunk in World War II Category:Maritime incidents in April 1940