Gneisenau

0.10.1

Gneisenau

Bitevní loď | Německo | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

stock

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General

Research price80500 exp

Purchase price6 700 000

Hit Points50 900

Main Battery

IDS_PGGM059_380MM_SKC_34_RF3 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire2.31 shots/min.

Reload Time26 sec.

Rotation Speed5 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time36 sec.

Firing Range17.77 km.

Maximum Dispersion255 m.

HE Shell380 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.6

Maximum HE Shell Damage4 400

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell34 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity820 m./s.

HE Shell Weight800 kg.

AP Shell380 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage11 600

Initial AP Shell Velocity820 m./s.

AP Shell Weight800 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm/65 SK C/33 na palebném stanovišti Dop. L. C/317 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range6.3 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1 200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Secondary Armament #2

150 mm/55 SK C/28 na palebném stanovišti Dop. L. C/344 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range6.3 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1 700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Secondary Armament #3

150 mm/55 SK C/28 na palebném stanovišti MPL/354 х 1 pcs.

Firing Range6.3 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1 700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm Drilling2 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.88 shots/min.

Reload Time68 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

TorpedoG7a T1

Maximum Damage13 700

Torpedo Speed64 knot

Torpedo Range6 km.

AA Defense

105 mm/65 SK C/33 na palebném stanovišti Dop. L. C/317 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second116.2

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 na palebném stanovišti Flak 35 Vierling L/387 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second42

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 na dvouhlavňovém palebném stanovišti14 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second58.8

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

37 mm/83 SK C/30 na palebném stanovišti Dopp LC/308 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second20.8

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed28.8 knot

Turning Circle Radius830 m.

Rudder Shift Time20.6 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range15.19 km.

Air Detectability Range10.39 km.

Battle Levels

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0.10.1

Gneisenau

Bitevní loď | Německo | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price80500 exp

Purchase price6 700 000

Hit Points58 200

Main Battery

IDS_PGGM059_380MM_SKC_34_RF3 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire2.31 shots/min.

Reload Time26 sec.

Rotation Speed5 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time36 sec.

Firing Range19.55 km.

Maximum Dispersion255 m.

HE Shell380 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.6

Maximum HE Shell Damage4 400

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell34 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity820 m./s.

HE Shell Weight800 kg.

AP Shell380 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage11 600

Initial AP Shell Velocity820 m./s.

AP Shell Weight800 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

128 mm/61 KM40 ve věži11 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range6.3 km.

Rate of Fire15 shots/min.

Reload Time4 sec.

HE Shell128 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1 500

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm Drilling2 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.88 shots/min.

Reload Time68 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

TorpedoG7a T1

Maximum Damage13 700

Torpedo Speed64 knot

Torpedo Range6 km.

AA Defense

128 mm/61 KM40 ve věži11 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second136.4

. . . Firing Range5.19 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 na dvouhlavňovém palebném stanovišti12 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second50.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

37 mm/69 Flak M42 na palebném stanovišti LM/426 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second61.8

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 na palebném stanovišti Flak 35 Vierling L/387 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second42

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius830 m.

Rudder Shift Time14.7 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range15.19 km.

Air Detectability Range10.39 km.

Battle Levels

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VII

6 700 000

Gneisenau — Německa Tier VII Bitevní loď.

A very high-speed battleship that was close to the battle cruiser type. Under the re-armament project, she was equipped with 380 mm guns that enabled her to fight off larger contemporary ships. Among her drawbacks were the small number of main guns and weak horizontal armor.

49d2855ef78340bc9cb9af268850459a

Moduly

	Rychlost střelby (shots/min)	Čas otočení o 180° (sec)	Maximální rozptyl (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
380 mm/52 SK C/34 na palebném stanovišti Drh LC/34	2,3	36	255	4 400	34	11 600		0	520 000

	Body výdrže (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Hlavní věže (pcs.)	Sekundární dělové věže (pcs.)	Bodová obrana (pcs.)	Torpédomety (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Gneisenau (A)	50 900	16	360	3	4/4/7	7/8/7/14	2			0	620 000
Gneisenau (B)	58 200	16	360	3	11	6/11/12	2			24 000	1 350 000

	Rychlost střelby (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	Čas otočení o 180° (sec)	Maximální poškození (HP)	Rychlost torpéda (knot)	Dosah torpéda (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
G7a T1	0,9	68	7,2	13 700	64	6		0	260 000

	Zvýšení dostřelu (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
FKS Typ 7 Mod. 1	0	17,8		0	360 000
FKS Typ 7 Mod. 2	10	19,5		12 000	800 000

	Maximální rychlost (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Pohon: 125 000 hp	28,8		0	300 000
Pohon: 160 000 hp	32		8 000	650 000

Vybavení

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Názor hráče

Představení lodi

Hailing as the first post-World War I battleship design in the German battleship line at Tier VII, Gneisenau dramatically shifts from the bulky, slow-to-react dreadnoughts that are more dangerous when they get close into a post-dreadnought battleship which can do many of the same things (to a certain degree) while remaining one of the most versatile battleships at her tier.

Playing Gneisenau is decidedly different from playing her counterparts at Tier VII. While Gneisenau may appear slender and lightly armored, don't be fooled: she is deceptively durable in the hands of a captain who knows how to handle her. Her 15-inch guns give her the capability of fighting on the same level as her peers, though she does have fewer barrels than the competition. From a handling perspective, she's the fastest battleship out of the German line, and has no trouble keeping up with cruisers as needed.

Her speed is arguably Gneisenau’s greatest asset. It allows her to close the gap with enemy battleships and force them into close range where her main battery, secondary guns, and torpedoes can deliver the killing blow. While most battleships tend to join a battle line, Gneisenau can instead join up with fast cruisers and blitz the enemy by appearing quickly from an unexpected location. She is capable of operating solo, but extra caution is needed when doing so; her main battery dispersion is frequently frustrating, making long-range combat decidedly not her strong suit. Gneisenau is most comfortable at medium-to-close range — even point-blank range — where she can make every shell and torpedo count.

Gneisenau is unique in the game as the only regular tech tree battleship to have torpedoes available; the only other battleships with torpedo tubes are her premium sister Scharnhorst, the premium version of her successor, Tirpitz, and Japanese premiums Mutsu and Kii. Her rakish looks hide a brutal array of secondary batteries that unload at an impressive rate of fire, and are more than capable of shredding destroyers of equal and lower tiers (higher tier destroyers are likely to have concealment values that make closing with them suicidal).

Gneisenau — like Scharnhorst — is a ship that is equally at ease diving into a melee or holding back from one. Learning when to dive in and put her secondaries and torpedoes to work (and when not to) is half the fun of learning how to play her well.

LittleWhiteMouse in the Gneisenau from the NA forums. Tested in Update 0.5.9.

Plusy:

• Highly versatile battleship; her armament allows her to play as a typical battleship, while her speed lets her behave as a battlecruiser at need.
• Excellent 15-inch guns, same as those on Bismarck and Tirpitz.
• First-rate speed for a battleship (32 knots); the fastest battleship in the German battleship tree. With a Sierra Mike () signal, she is as fast as Tier IX's Iowa.
• Solid secondary battery guns, comparable to Japanese counterpart Nagato.
• Good range at her tier.
• Has one triple-tube torpedo launcher on each side.
• Outstanding armor belt combined with German turtleback armor scheme makes her deceptively durable.
• Reasonable concealment rating; with a captain that has Concealment Expert, her surface detection range goes down to an astounding 13.1km (comparable to the equal tier Japanese cruiser Myoko).
• Good anti-aircraft suite; when fully built for anti-air duties, she is deadly to enemy planes.

Mínusy:

• Short torpedo range of 6km.
• 15-inch guns have trouble with angled enemy battleships (use HE against the superstructure or choose a different target).
• Easily set on fire.
• She is nearly impossible to citadel, but will take a lot of full penetration damage.
• AB-X layout of dual mount turrets may feel lacking.
• Dispersion can be infuriating.
• Deck armor can potentially be penetrated by bigger guns.
• Rather bad turning radius.

Výzkum

Hull (B) is first priority, as it comes with a boatload more hit points and secondary guns (that also contribute to her anti-aircraft defense). The engine module upgrade should be next, with the range upgrade being taken last.

Doporučená konfigurace

Gneisenau doesn't mind brawling at close range; her commander skills and upgrades can be tailored to such tactics, or focused more on anti-aircraft defense to increase her survivability.

Vylepšení

Gneisenau has access to four Upgrade Slots as a Tier VII ship. Gneisenau also has the option of building for Secondaries or AA.

• Slot 1: Úprava hlavní výzbroje 1 () to improve her main battery survival.
• Slot 2: Úprava systému řízení oprav 1 () to improve her overall survival in battle.
• Slot 3: Úprava zaměřovacích systémů 1 () to improve her main battery accuracy, or Úprava protiletadlových děl 1 () for an AA build, or Úprava sekundární baterie 2 () for a secondary build.
• Slot 4: Úprava systému řízení oprav 2 () to further improve her overall survival. Úprava řízení 2 () is also an option to improve her maneuverability.

Even if choosing to focus on her secondary battery, Úprava pomocné výzbroje 1 () is not recommended; improving the survivability of Gneisenau’s main battery with Main Armaments Mod 1 is still a better choice.

Kapitánské body

Secondary Battery Build: Priority Target or Preventative Maintenance at Level 1, Adrenaline Rush at Level 2, Superintendent at Level 3, Advanced Firing Training at Level 4. These skills increase Gneisenau’s survivability while buffing her secondary battery range. Subsequent points should be invested in Manual Fire for Secondary Armament and Basic Firing Training.

Anti-Aircraft Build: Priority Target or Preventative Maintenance at Level 1, Expert Marksman at Level 2, Superintendent at Level 3, Manual Fire Control for AA Armament at Level 4. Additional points should be put into Advanced Firing Training when available. Gneisenau is a deathtrap for enemy planes in this configuration, dispensing a punishing amount of damage from her 128mm dual-purpose guns.

Doporučené přidělení kapitánských bodů
Cena (body)	Vytrvalostní		Útočné		Podpůrné		Všestranné
1	Prioritní cíl Ukazatel prostorové představivosti zobrazuje počet nepřátel, kteří na vás míří hlavní baterií. ★★	Preventivní údržba -30% nebezpečí vyřazení modulu. ★★	Expert nabíječ -50% doby nabíjení, pokud jde o změnu druhu munice. ★	Expert na údržbu letadel +5% HP letadel na LL. -10% trvání údržby letadel na LL.	Naváděcí centrum pro katapultovaná letadla +1 katapultovaný letoun. -20% rychlosti katapultovaného letadla ★	Expert v leteckém souboji +10% bojové výkonnosti stíhače za každou úroveň rozdílu. +10% munice stíhaček.	Varování před příchozí palbou Indikace dalekonosné palby. ★	Úhybný manévr -20% k odhalitelnosti útočných letounů vracejících se k letadlové lodi. +75% ke zdraví útočných letounů vracejících se k LL -30% k rychlosti útočných letounů vracejících se k LL
2	Nejvyšší pohotovost -10% doby nabíjení havarijního týmu. ★	Všeuměl -5% doby obnovy všech spotř. doplňků. ★★	Expert na zaměřování +2.5 °/s k rychlosti otáčení věží s děly ráže do 139 mm. +0.7 °/s k rychlosti otáčení věží s děly ráže nad 139 mm. ★★★	Zrychlení torpéd +5 uzlů k rychlosti torpéda. -20% dosahu torpéda. ★	Expert na kouřovou clonu +20% k rozsahu dýmové clony.	Zkušený zadní střelec +10% k průměrnému poškození obranné výzbroje letounu se zadním střelcem.	Nával adrenalinu -0.2% doby nabíjení zbraní všeho druhu za každé 1% chybějícího celkového zdraví. ★	Do posledního Loď se může pohybovat a manévrovat, i když jsou pohon nebo kormidlo vyřazeny
3	Základy odolnosti -15% doby oprav, hašení požáru a odstranění zaplavení. ★★	Odborník na přežití +350 HP za každou úroveň lodi. ★	Expert na torpédovou výzbroj -10% doby nabíjení torpédometů. -20% doby údržby torpédových bombardérů. ★	Nouzový vzlet +100% k době údržby letadel, pokud loď hoří. +100% to aircraft servicing time while aircraft carrier is on fire.	Základní střelecký výcvik -10% doby nabíjení hlavních zbraní ráže do 139mm včetně a všech sekundárních zbraní. +20% k průměrnému poškození za sekundu protiletecké obrany. ★★	Superintendant +1 dodatečné použití pro všechny spotřební doplňky lodi. ★★★	Demoliční expert +2% k šanci na zapálení cíle granátem hlavní baterie, sekundární baterie nebo bombou. ★	Bdělost +25% ke vzdálenosti odhalení torpéd nepřítele. ★★
4	Ruční řízení palby sekundární výzbroje -15% maximálního rozptylu granátů sekundárních baterií lodí I-VI. -60% maximálního rozptylu granátů sekundárních baterií lodí VII-X. ★★★	Požární ochrana -10% nebezpečí požáru. Loď může v jeden okamžik hořet nejvýše na 3 místech. ★★	Zpožděná roznětka HE granátu +30% k průbojnosti HE granátů hlavní baterie ráže do 139mm včetně. -1% šance na zapálení HE granátem hlavní baterie ráže do 139mm včetně. +30% k průbojnosti granátu hlavní baterie ráže nad 139mm. -3% k šanci na zapálení granátem hlavní baterie ráže nad 139mm. ★	Vzdušná nadvláda +1 stíhač na letku. +1 střemhlavý bombardér na letku.	Pokročilý střelecký výcvik +20% k dostřelu hlavních zbraní ráže do 139mm včetně a sekundárních zbraní. +20% k dostřelu AA obrany. ★★★	Manuální zaměřování pro AA zbraně +100% k průměrnému poškození za sekundu u AA děl ráže nad 85mm při střelbě na označený cíl. ★★	Radiové zaměřování Ukazuje směr k nejbližší lodi nepřítele. Dotčený nepřátelský hráč je upozorněn, že byl zaměřen. Tato schopnost nefunguje pro letadlové lodě. (Vyjma CV) ★	Expert na maskování 10% z okruhu odhalitelnosti pro torpédoborec. -12% z okruhu odhalitelnosti pro křižník. -14% z okruhu odhalitelnosti pro bitevní loď. -16% z okruhu odhalitelnosti pro letadlovou loď. ★★
Key: ★★★ - Extrémně užitečné       ★★ - Často užitečné       ★ - Příležitostně účinné      nic - zbytečné

Spotřební doplňky

Gneisenau can equip the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Havarijní tým ()
• Slot 2: Opravárenská četa ()
• Slot 3: Pozorovací letadlo () or Katapultovaný stíhač ()

Both Havarijní tým II () and Opravářská četa II () are recommended for the quicker cooldowns, especially for captains who have opted for the Secondary Battery Build.

Kamufláž

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 2 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce the accuracy of incoming shells.

Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Gneisenau with Type 17 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Signály

Players who have followed the Secondary Battery Build above will want to equip Mike Yankee Soxisix () and India Delta () signals in order to further boost the effectiveness of their secondaries and Opravárenská četa () consumable, respectively. Players following the Anti-Aircraft Build are encouraged to equip November Echo Setteseven () for the bonus to AA gun damage.

Doporučené Signály
Bojové
Juliet Charlie -100% k šanci na detonaci. ★	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% k době trvání zaplavení. ★	India Yankee -20% k době trvání požáru. ★★★	Hotel Yankee -20% k obdrženému poškození při ramování. +50% k udělenému poškození při ramování. ★	Victor Lima +1% k šanci HE bomby a granátu ráže více než 160 mm na způsobení zapálení. +0.5% k šanci HE bomby a granátu ráže do 160 mm na způsobení zapálení. +4% k šanci torpéd na způsobení zaplavení.	India X-Ray +1% k šanci HE bomby a granátu ráže více než 160 mm na způsobení zapálení. +0.5% k šanci HE bomby a granátu ráže do 160 mm na způsobení zapálení. +5% k riziku detonace.
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% k šanci na způsobení zaplavení. +5% k riziku detonace. ★	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% k dostřelu sekundární baterie. -5% k rozptylu granátů sekundární baterie. -5% k době nabíjení sekundární baterie. ★★★	November Echo Setteseven +5% k setrvalému poškození protiletadlových zbraní. +5% k poškození flakem.	Sierra Mike +5% k rychlosti lodi. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% k době načítání spotřebních doplňků. ★	India Delta +20% k množství životů, které opraví doplněk Opravárenská četa (). ★★★
X-Ray Papa Unaone +15% k době tvání doplňku Kouřový generátor().	Sierra Bravo +10% k době trvání doplňku Hydroakusticý vyhledávač () -10% k době načítání doplňku Obranná protiletadlová palba ().

Poznámka: Použití signálu Juliet Charlie plně zabraňuje detonaci.

Historické informace

Gneisenau, 1939

Construction

Builder: Deutsche Werke; Kiel, Germany

Laid down: 3 May 1935

Launched: 8 December 1936

Commissioned: 21 May 1938

Specifications

34,841 tons displacement, standard

229.80m length

30m beam

8.23m draft

Machinery

12 boilers, 3 turbines

Performance

32 knots at 165,000 shaft horsepower

9,020nm at 15 knots

Armor

Main belt: 350mm mid, 70mm forward, 90mm aft

Upper belt: 35mm

Torpedo bulkhead: 45mm

Decks: 105mm main, 50mm armored deck,
   102mm armored deck slope

Bulkheads: 150mm forward, 200mm aft

Barbettes and Turrets: 350mm barbette, 360mm face,
   200mm side, 170mm rear, 150mm roof

Conning tower: 350mm side

Armament

Main

Nine (3x3) 280mm guns

Secondary

Twelve (4x2, 4x1) 150mm guns

Fourteen (7x2) 105mm guns

Anti-Aircraft

Sixteen (8x2) 37mm guns

Eight (8x1) 20mm guns

Aircraft

Three Arado Ar 196 floatplanes, one catapult

Gneisenau at anchor, date and location unknown.

History

Design

With the commissioning of the last Deutschland-class vessel in 1936, the Kriegsmarine found itself in possession of warships that could outrun almost every ship that outgunned them, while being able to outgun almost every ship that could outrun them. The few exceptions to this were the British battlecruisers HMS Renown, HMS Repulse, and HMS Hood, and the Japanese battleships of the Kongo class. The entry of Deutschland and her sister ships into service led the French begin designing a new class of battlecruisers — the Dunkerque class — which would be larger, stronger, and faster.

Having learned the intended operational specifications of Dunkerque and her sisters, German designers began development on improved versions of the Deutschland-class, known as Panzerschiff D and Panzerschiff E. Shortly after, however, the French laid down Strasbourg, which was a more heavily-armored Dunkerque and would again outclass the nascent German designs. The Kriegsmarine responded by designing an even more powerful ship, this time with a third turret — to help overcome the difference in firepower between the two classes — a tougher armor scheme, and a stronger propulsion to allow high speeds.

This step was — strictly speaking — not entirely legal. The Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany from possessing any warship in excess of 10,000 tons displacement. With the new class being designed for a displacement in excess of 30,000 tons, they were in clear violation of their treaty obligations. Subsequently, Hitler reached out to Great Britain and initiated negotiations of a new Anglo-German Naval Treaty, which partially legitimized the construction of the new ships. Whether the treaty fully covered the legitimacy of the new ships remains topic of discussion even today.

The armament of these ships consisted of three triple turrets with 283mm guns, the same caliber as those found on the Deutschland class. However, these guns were modified to increase their performance: the barrel was lengthened, and the weight of the shell increased. Additionally, the reloading and hoist system saw an improvement to allow a faster rate of fire, with reloads of 17 seconds being achieved during trials. Despite these improvements, German command knew that the 283mm guns were not competitive against larger surface units and planned early on to replace these guns with more powerful 380m twin turrets (the same as would later be mounted on the Bismarck class). One of the reasons to not install the turrets from the get-go was to not provoke the ire of their British neighbors, as negotiations with them were ongoing.

The secondary armament was a mixed load out of twelve 150mm guns, mounted in four twin and four single mountings, and a dual purpose battery of seven twin 105mm guns. In 1942 — following the usage of these ships as merchant raiders — both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau received two triple torpedo launchers that had been removed from light cruisers Nürnberg and Leipzig. The mid-range anti aircraft armament consisted of eight twin 37mm Flakzwilling 30, which were designed as a weapon against medium bombers; against mono planes, however, these guns would have limited effectiveness. Short range AA was provided by a steadily increasing number of 20mm guns in both single and quad mountings.

The propulsion was upgraded from the Deutschlands. Unlike the diesel propulsion of their immediate predecessors, the Scharnhorst class went back to traditional steam propulsion, able to crank out 125,000 shaft horsepower across three shafts; output could be pushed up to over 160,000 in times of great need. This gave the Scharnhorst class a design speed of 31 knots, with the highest noted speed being above 33 knots. A stern catapult would allow them to operate seaplanes for the purposes of scouting.

The protection of the Scharnhorst class was drastically improved. The main armor belt was 350mm thick, and behind it followed a 105-110mm strong turtleback, which would deflect shells away from the vitals at short combat ranges. The horizontal protection consisted of a 50mm strong main deck, and the vital areas had an additional 80-95mm strong armored deck.

During their service these ships saw several modifications. The most important ones were the addition of an Atlantic bow in 1939 to improve the seaworthiness, the removal of the optical rangefinders of the A-turret in 1941 due to the lenses being constantly coated with water, the aforementioned addition of triple-tube torpedo launchers in 1942, and the continual addition of radar and sensory equipment for the purpose of detecting and engaging opposing vessels.

Service

Gneisenau and Scharnhorst operated together for much of the early portion of World War II, including sorties into the Atlantic to raid British merchant shipping. During their first operation, the two ships sank the British auxiliary cruiser HMS Rawalpindi in a short battle. Gneisenau and Scharnhorst participated in Operation Weserübung, the German invasion of Norway. During operations off Norway, the two ships engaged the battlecruiser HMS Renown and sank the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious. Gneisenau was damaged in the action with Renown and later torpedoed by a British submarine, HMS Clyde, off Norway. After a successful raid in the Atlantic in 1941, Gneisenau and her sister put in at Brest, France. The two battleships were the subject of repeated bombing raids by the RAF; Gneisenau was hit several times during the raids, though she was ultimately repaired.

In early 1942, the two ships made a daylight dash up the English Channel from occupied France to Germany. After reaching Kiel in early February, the ship went into drydock. On the night of 26 February, the British launched an air attack on the ship; one bomb penetrated her armored deck and exploded in the forward ammunition magazine, causing serious damage and a large number of casualties. The repairs necessitated by the damage were so time consuming that it was determined to rebuild the ship to accommodate the 38 cm guns as originally intended. The 28 cm guns were removed and used as shore batteries. In 1943, Hitler ordered the cessation of conversion work, and on 27 March 1945, she was sunk as a blockship in Gotenhafen (Gdynia) in German-occupied Poland. She was eventually broken up for scrap in 1951.

Historical Inaccuracies

• Gneisenau’s original 283mm main battery guns are not available in-game. See Scharnhorst for the historical version.
• Hull (A) represents Gneisenau’s planned configuration after refitting with 38.0 cm SK C/34 main guns; these are the same 15-inch guns found on both Bismarck and Tirpitz. She and her sister Scharnhorst were to be fitted with them historically, but this upgrade never actually occurred. However, the tripod mast that had been constructed and planned to be fitted to Gneisenau aft of the hangar during her major refit is not present. This mast would take the same position as it does on Scharnhorst.
• Her historical secondary battery has been replaced by a hypothetical set of 12.8 cm KM40 guns on Hull (B). The tripod mast is still missing from this upgrade.
• Stock propulsion is fictitious. There was no 125,000 shaft horsepower downgrade.
• None of Gneisenau’s historical paint schemes are currently available..

Historické snímky

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  The wappen (coat of arms) of Gneisenau.

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  Gneisenau fitting out at Kiel, 1937.

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  Gneisenau during gun trials off Rugen Island in the Baltic Sea, summer 1938.

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  Gneisenau anchored at Kiel, May 1939.

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  Gneisenau anchored at Kiel, June 1939.

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  Gneisenau refueling off the Portugese coast, July 1939.

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  Gneisenau at sea, circa 1939.

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  Großadmiral Erich Raeder visiting Gneisenau in 1941 while she is inside the Laninon drydock number 9 in Brest, France.

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  Gneisenau as she appeared in February 1942.

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  Aerial reconnaissance photo of Gneisenau in dry dock, March 1942.

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  Gneisenau after her second bow alteration in 1942.

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  Gneisenau’s 283mm turret "Caesar" on display at Austrått Fort, Norway.

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  An SK C/28 150mm turret mounted as a shore battery. This type of turret was installed aboard Gneisenau.

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  The interior of an SK C/28 150mm turret, similar to one of those installed aboard Gneisenau.

Ships of Germany

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