| Revision as of 00:49, 26 August 2016 | | Revision as of 00:57, 26 August 2016 |
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| | ''Scharnhorst'' officially completed trials in July 1939 and all modifications were completed near the end of August 1939. She began World War II by returning to Kiel where she received repairs for blast damage sustained during training. On 21 November 1939, both ''Scharnhorst'' and ''[[Ship:Gneisenau|Gneisenau]]'' were ordered to sea in the Arctic. During this patrol, they encountered and sank the armed merchant cruiser HMS ''Rawalpindi'', returning to Germany for maintenance in January 1940. | | | ''Scharnhorst'' officially completed trials in July 1939 and all modifications were completed near the end of August 1939. She began World War II by returning to Kiel where she received repairs for blast damage sustained during training. On 21 November 1939, both ''Scharnhorst'' and ''[[Ship:Gneisenau|Gneisenau]]'' were ordered to sea in the Arctic. During this patrol, they encountered and sank the armed merchant cruiser HMS ''Rawalpindi'', returning to Germany for maintenance in January 1940. |
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| ? | Having completed a second, failed sortie into the North Sea, the pair returned to port in time to participate in the invasion of Norway. Sailing in April, they, along with ten destroyers, were to cover the invasion of Narvik. Encountering HMS ''Renown'' on the 9th of April, ''Gneisenau'' came off the worse in an inconclusive engagement, with ''Scharnhorst'' sustaining significant environmental damage from the heavy seas. | | + | Having completed a second, failed sortie into the North Sea, the pair returned to port in time to participate in the invasion of Norway. Sailing in April, they, along with ten destroyers, were to cover the invasion of Narvik. Encountering HMS ''Renown'' on 9 April, ''Gneisenau'' came off the worse in an inconclusive engagement, with ''Scharnhorst'' sustaining significant environmental damage from the heavy seas. |
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| | Returning to port and making good all damage, both ''Scharnhorst'' and ''[[Ship:Gneisenau|Gneisenau]]'' again sailed in support of German operations in Norway in June. On 8 June 1940, they encountered HMS ''Glorious'' and her escorts, destroyers ''Ardent'' and ''Acasta''. They sank ''Glorious'', but ''Scharnhorst'' was torpedoed by ''Acasta'' and was forced to make for Trondheim. ''Scharnhorst'' eventually returned to Germany in June, but it would be the end of the year before she was back in action. | | | Returning to port and making good all damage, both ''Scharnhorst'' and ''[[Ship:Gneisenau|Gneisenau]]'' again sailed in support of German operations in Norway in June. On 8 June 1940, they encountered HMS ''Glorious'' and her escorts, destroyers ''Ardent'' and ''Acasta''. They sank ''Glorious'', but ''Scharnhorst'' was torpedoed by ''Acasta'' and was forced to make for Trondheim. ''Scharnhorst'' eventually returned to Germany in June, but it would be the end of the year before she was back in action. |
