1936 GNEISENAU. Like most of the Third Reichs major surface warships, Gneisenau, and her sister-ship Scharnhorst, with whom she was always linked, were really effective only as components of a powerful fleet-in-being.
SQUANDERED RESOURCES
The two ships of the Scharrihorst class were to have been enlarged Deutschland-class pocket battleships, with steam turbines rather than diesels and with heavier protection. Even before the design was finalised, they had grown to 26,000 tons, thanks to the addition of a further three 28cm (11 in) guns in a triple turret. They were to put on still more weight eventually, to a standard displacement of almost 33,000 tons, 42 per cent of which was armour. Gneisenou was constructed at Deutsche Werke at Kiel at a cost of 146 million Reichsmarks; laid down on 3 May 1935, she was launched on 8 December 1936. She joined the Kriegsmarine on 21 May 1938. During the night of 26-27 February 1942 she was badly damaged by a bombing raid (her bow was blown off). It was planned to reconstruct her with 38cm (l5in) guns, but nothing came of it. She was towed to Gdynia in 1943, and her guns were removed; just before the wars end she was scuttled as a blockship. The wreck was raised and broken up in 1951.
VERY SOPHISTICATED MACHINERY
Like the contemporary Hipper-class heavy cruisers, the Scharnhorsts had some of the most sophisticated machinery ever seen, working at very high pressure and temperature to develop the sort of power necessary to push them along at a maximum speed in excess of 31 knots (58km/h). Gneisenau had 12 Wagner boilers operating at a temperature of 4800 and delivering steam to her three three-chambered Germania geared turbines at a pressure of 50 atmospheres (735psi).
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Battleship
Machinery: 3-shaft Germania geared turbines giving a total of 1 62,000shp
Dimensions (overall): Length 229.8m (754ft); beam 30m (98.Sft)
Displacement: 32,700t standard; 38,900t deep load
Draught: 9.9m (32.51t) deep load
Complement: 1840
