Battleship Gneisenau

Battleship Gneisenau was a German Scharnhorst-class battleship built at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel and launched on February 8, 1936, in the presence of Paul von Hindenburg's daughter. The ship was named after August Neidhardt von Gneisenau, a Prussian Field Marshal who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars, particularly during the Battle of Leipzig and the Battle of Waterloo. The Gneisenau was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on May 21, 1938, under the command of Captain Ernst Lindemann, who later commanded the Bismarck during its ill-fated Operation Rheinübung. The Gneisenau formed part of the German Navy's Baltic Fleet, alongside its sister ship, the Scharnhorst, and played a key role in the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of Denmark Strait.

● Introduction

The Gneisenau was one of the most advanced battleships of its time, with a design influenced by the Washington Naval Treaty and the London Naval Treaty, which imposed restrictions on the size and armament of warships. The ship's design was also shaped by the experiences of the German Navy during World War I, particularly the Battle of Jutland, and the need to counter the French Navy's Dunkerque-class battleships, such as the Dunkerque and the Strasbourg. The Gneisenau's construction was overseen by the Reichsmarine, which later became the Kriegsmarine, and involved the participation of several German shipyards, including the Deutsche Werke and the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg. The ship's launch was attended by high-ranking officials, including Hermann Göring, the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, and Erich Raeder, the commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine.

● Design and Construction

The Gneisenau was designed to be a fast and heavily armed battleship, with a top speed of over 31 knots and a main armament of nine 28 cm SK C/34 guns, which were mounted in three triple turrets. The ship's armor was designed to provide protection against cruiser-sized opponents, with a maximum thickness of 350 mm on the waterline belt and 200 mm on the deck armor. The Gneisenau's propulsion system consisted of three Brown, Boveri & Cie geared turbines, which were powered by twelve Wagner high-pressure boilers and produced a total of 165,930 shaft horsepower. The ship's construction involved the use of advanced materials and techniques, including welding and riveting, and was influenced by the designs of other German warships, such as the Admiral Graf Spee and the Deutschland-class pocket battleships.

● Career

The Gneisenau began its career in the Kriegsmarine as a training ship, participating in several exercises and maneuvers in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The ship was commanded by several experienced officers, including Captain Ernst Lindemann and Captain Otto Ciliax, who later commanded the Scharnhorst during the Channel Dash. The Gneisenau formed part of the German Navy's Baltic Fleet, alongside its sister ship, the Scharnhorst, and played a key role in the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of Denmark Strait. The ship also participated in the Operation Berlin, a raid on British shipping in the North Atlantic, and the Operation Cerberus, a daring escape from Brest, France.

● Operational History

The Gneisenau's operational history was marked by several significant events, including the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of Denmark Strait. The ship played a key role in the Invasion of Poland, providing gunfire support to German troops and helping to secure the Polish Corridor. The Gneisenau also participated in the Battle of Denmark Strait, where it engaged the British HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Hood. The ship's guns scored several hits on the British warships, but it was also damaged by return fire. The Gneisenau was repaired at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Kiel and later participated in the Operation Berlin, a raid on British shipping in the North Atlantic.

● Fate

The Gneisenau's fate was sealed in 1945, when it was damaged by British bombers while in dry dock at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Gdynia. The ship was unable to participate in the final battles of the war and was eventually scuttled by its crew on March 28, 1945. The wreck of the Gneisenau was later raised by the Soviet Navy and scrapped in the 1950s. The ship's legacy lives on, however, as one of the most advanced and formidable battleships of its time, and its design influenced the development of later German warships, such as the H-39 class and the H-44 class.

● Specifications

The Gneisenau had a displacement of 31,552 tons and a length of 234.9 meters. The ship's beam was 30 meters and its draft was 9.9 meters. The Gneisenau was powered by three Brown, Boveri & Cie geared turbines, which were powered by twelve Wagner high-pressure boilers and produced a total of 165,930 shaft horsepower. The ship's top speed was over 31 knots and its range was 6,200 nautical miles at 19 knots. The Gneisenau's main armament consisted of nine 28 cm SK C/34 guns, which were mounted in three triple turrets, and its secondary armament included twelve 15 cm SK C/28 guns and fourteen 10.5 cm SK C/33 anti-aircraft guns. The ship's armor was designed to provide protection against cruiser-sized opponents, with a maximum thickness of 350 mm on the waterline belt and 200 mm on the deck armor. The Gneisenau had a crew of 1,669 officers and men and was equipped with several Arado Ar 196 seaplanes, which were used for reconnaissance and spotting.