Scharnhorst

13.3

Scharnhorst

Battleship | Germany | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points56,300

Main Battery

283 mm/54.5 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount3 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire3 shots/min.

Reload Time20 sec.

Rotation Speed7.2 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time25 sec.

Firing Range19.87 km.

Maximum Dispersion258 m.

HE Shell283 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5 Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage3,200

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell20 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity890 m./s.

HE Shell Weight315 kg.

AP Shell283 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage7,600

Initial AP Shell Velocity890 m./s.

AP Shell Weight330 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount7 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 on a Dop. L. C/34 mount4 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 on an MPL/35 mount4 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 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount7 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second116.2

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount5 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second30

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

37 mm/83 SK C/30 on a Dopp LC/30 mount8 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second20.8

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on an L/30 single mount10 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second30

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed30 knot

Turning Circle Radius800 m.

Rudder Shift Time14.5 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range15.19 km.

Air Detectability Range9.94 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.3

Scharnhorst

Battleship | Germany | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points56,300

Main Battery

283 mm/54.5 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount3 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire3 shots/min.

Reload Time20 sec.

Rotation Speed7.2 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time25 sec.

Firing Range19.87 km.

Maximum Dispersion258 m.

HE Shell283 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5 Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage3,200

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell20 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity890 m./s.

HE Shell Weight315 kg.

AP Shell283 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage7,600

Initial AP Shell Velocity890 m./s.

AP Shell Weight330 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount7 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 on a Dop. L. C/34 mount4 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 on an MPL/35 mount4 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 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount7 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second116.2

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount5 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second30

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

37 mm/83 SK C/30 on a Dopp LC/30 mount8 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second20.8

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on an L/30 single mount10 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second30

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed30 knot

Turning Circle Radius800 m.

Rudder Shift Time14.5 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range15.19 km.

Air Detectability Range9.94 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VII

Special

Scharnhorst — German special premium Tier VII battleship.

A German battleship designed for raider operations and fighting cruisers, including battlecruisers. When Scharnhorst was built, she was faster than any ship of her type. The rather small caliber of her main battery guns was her main drawback, but that was offset by her higher rate of fire.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (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 ()
283 mm/54.5 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount	3	25	258	3,200	20	7,600		0	0

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Scharnhorst	56,300	16	360	3	7/4/4	10/5/8/7	2			0	0

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Damage (HP)	Torpedo Speed (knot)	Torpedo Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
G7a T1	0.9	68	7.2	13,700	64	6		0	0

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
FKS Typ 7 Mod. 1		0		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 160,000 hp	30		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Player Opinion

Performance

Scharnhorst is a unique battleship that performs more similarly to a heavy cruiser than an actual battleship. She maneuvers more like a cruiser due to having a top speed of 30 knots, decent rudder shift time, and 280mm guns that reload in only 20 seconds (compared to the 30-32 seconds of the average battleship). However, being only 280mm in diameter, her guns don't do as much damage per shell as other 400+mm gunned battleships at this tier (Colorado and Nagato).

While unable to withstand mid-range, broadside to broadside engagements with other battleships, Scharnhorst performs very well as a cruiser hunter, destroyer killer, and at harassing distracted battleships. If forced to go toe-to-toe with another battleship, she must use her superior speed to control the engagement. She can also utilize her superior armor to deflect deadly salvos and tank for the team. While Scharnhorst has superior frontal armor and citadel armor, her side armor is weak enough to take devastating damage from enemy battleship salvos. Use her speed to either stay at range and dodge enemy battleships' shells, or press into close range to allow her secondaries - which become extremely powerful with a full secondary build commander and module setup - and torpedoes to come into play, as well as enabling her 280mm guns to be able to punch through the belt or casemate armor of tough BB's.

LittleWhiteMouse's Premium Ship Review: Scharnhorst from the NA forums

Pros:

• Guns reload faster than any other battleship.
• Very good turret traverse, puts several cruisers to shame.
• Armor piercing shells have a high chance of penetrating destroyers rather than over-penetrating. Especially true when the target is angled bow or stern to you.
• Strong secondaries and torpedoes for close in brawling.
• High speed and good maneuverability feel more like a cruiser than a battleship.
• German armor scheme means she is hard to citadel.
• A very versatile ship, even without considering that she is a battleship.

Cons:

• Lower alpha strike potential and penetration compared to her larger-gunned peers.
• Low gun caliber prevents overmatching in most cases, leading to more bounces than most battleships.
• Mediocre stock anti-aircraft suite.
• Large turning radius.
• Turrets and torpedo tubes prone to being knocked out.
• Bow armor can be overmatched by battleships she will commonly encounter.
• She loves to brawl, but brawling against enemy ships that are armed with torpedoes frequently ends badly.

Research

As a premium ship, Scharnhorst doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The module chosen for Upgrade Slot 2 will largely determine how Scharnhorst will play. Equipping Aiming Systems Modification 1 is very popular, and helps make both her main and secondary batteries more accurate. Players who take AA Modification 2 are hedging their bets against enemy carriers at the expense of a higher chance of off-target shots. Neither of these choices lock the ship into a particular playstyle, and leave each player plenty of options with regard to maximizing Scharnhorst’s impact on the battle.

At the other end of the spectrum, highly aggressive players will equip Secondary Battery Modification 2 in this slot; coupled with the Advanced Firing Training skill and a Mike Yankee Soxsix flag, Scharnhorst’s secondary battery range pushes out past 7.5km. In this configuration, Scharnhorst puts out a punishing amount of secondary fire at a very long range; however, getting the most out of such a build requires that she spend significant amounts of time in close-combat with enemy ships.

Commander Skills

Scharnhorst likes to get in close when possible; the skill points of her commander should reflect such a strategy. That means taking Basics of Survivability at Tier 1, as well as Superintendent - for additional charges of Repair Party - and possibly High Alert at Tier 3 to reduce incoming damage as much as possible. Her weaker-than-average anti-aircraft suite can be made more potent with the Tier 4 skill Manual Fire for AA Armament.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns.	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of main turrets, torpedo tubes, steering gear, engines. ★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched. ★	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time.	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire. ★★	Last Gasp Completely restores the engine boost for the last attack flight of the carrier's planes.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★★★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm. ★★★	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range.	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen.	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. +0.2% squadron speed for each 1% of total health lost.	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding. ★★★	Survivability Expert +350 ship HP for each ship tier. +15 aircraft HP for each ship tier. ★	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes.	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +10% to continuous damage from AA guns. ★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★★★	Demolition Expert +2% chance of HE shells causing a fire on target. +1% chance of rockets causing a fire on target. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire on target. ★	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament Tightens dispersion of shells from secondary batteries. -15% for Tier I-VI ships. -60% for Tier VII-X ships. Manually selected target only. ★	Fire Prevention -10% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three. ★★	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -1% chance of fire on target caused by shells <=139mm. -3% chance of fire on target caused by shells >139mm.	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +5% attack aircraft aiming speed. +5% torpedo bomber aiming speed. +10% dive bomber aiming speed.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% damage/sec. within the explosion radius of shells fired from long-range AA defenses. ★★	Massive AA Fire Instantaneous Damage +100%. Priority AA sector cooldown +50%.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of all ships and aircraft. ★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Meh     Χ - Not recommended

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Scharnhorst comes included with Type 10 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Gallery

• 

  Scharnhorst takes the lead.

• 

  Scharnhorst engages the enemy, leading a battleship and a cruiser.

• 

  Scharnhorst returns fire while angling against two enemy battleships.

• 

  Scharnhorst dodges a cruiser fired torpedo with ease. The cruiser was not so lucky.

• 

  Scharnhorst moves on to its' next target after destroying an enemy Amagi.

• 

  A Mikhail Kutuzov joins the Amagi in Davy Jones's Locker.

• 

  Scharnhorst attacks her next victim after destroying an enemy Colorado.

• 

  Scharnhorst scrambles a catapult fighter in an attempt to fight off enemy aircraft after destroying an enemy Colorado.

Historical Info

Construction

Wilhelmshaven Navy Yard; Wilhelmshaven, Germany

Laid down: 16 May 1935

Launched: 30 June 1936

Commissioned: 7 January 1939

Specifications

36,108 tons displacement, standard

230m length

30m beam

9.1m draft (mean)

Machinery

12 boilers, 3 turbines

Performance

32 knots at 160,080 shaft horsepower

9,020nm range at 15 knots

Armor

Main belt: 320mm mid, 70mm forward, 90mm aft

Upper belt: 35mm

Torpedo bulkhead: 45mm

Decks: 105mm main, 50mm upper armored deck

Bulkheads: 150mm forward, 200mm aft

Barbettes and Turrets: 350mm barbette, 360mm face, 110-200mm side, 170mm rear, 90-150mm roof

Conning tower: 350mm

Armament

Nine (3x3) 28.3cm/L54.5 rifles

Twelve (4x2, 4x1) 15cm/L55 rifles

Fourteen (7x2) 10.5cm/L65 dual-purpose guns

Sixteen (8x2) 3.7cm/L83 AA guns

Thirty (10x1, 5x4) 2cm/L65 AA guns

Six (2x3) 53.3cm torpedo tubes

(Note: early 1942 configuration)

Aircraft

Two Ar196 float planes, two catapults (pre-1940 reconstruction)

Three Ar196 float planes, one catapult (post-1940 reconstruction)

Complement

60 officers, 1,908 enlisted (1943)

History

Design

The Scharnhorst class began as an extension of the previous Panzershiffe design which resulted in the Deutschland class cruisers. Because Germany was still nominally bound by the restrictions imposed under the Treaty of Versailles, the initial plan was to build a successor class to the Deutschland which would replace Elsass and Hessen, two pre-dreadnoughts Germany had been allowed to keep under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

It was in the early 1930s, as France began construction of the Dunkerque class, that design priorities began to change. Where the original concept was a 15,000-18,000 ton ship armed with nine 280mm guns in three turrets, the decision to change the new design so as to be competitive with the Dunkerque began to expand the size of what was to become the Scharnhorst class. The new design eventually called for sufficient armor to protect against the expected 330mm guns of Dunkerque as well as a repetition of the two triple 280mm armament of the previous Deutschland class. Weighing in at 26,000 tons, the navy was unhappy with the design, but two were ordered and laid down anyway in 1934. Just six months later, in July 1934, Adolf Hitler changed his mind, and the final design advocated by the navy, with the characteristic three triple 280mm armament and a final displacement of 35,540 tons, was authorized. The two ships were re-laid a year later.

Despite having been laid last, Gneisenau was completed first, her construction having been prioritized for propaganda purposes. She launched in May of 1938 and prepared for sea trials. Gneisenau, due to the low freeboard of the class, proved to be very “wet” and received modifications to her bow in an attempt to address the issue. Scharnhorst also received a clipper bow, hers in the summer of 1939, as well as a funnel cap. Her mainmast was repositioned at this time, stepped between her catapult and aft director. Despite changes, both ships continued to have a tendency to take water over the bow.

Service

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 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.

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.

Returning to port and making good all damage, both Scharnhorst and 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.

In late December 1940, both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sailed as part of Operation Berlin in the Atlantic. Forced back to port by bad weather and mechanical failures, both ships returned within days, but sortied again on 22 January 1941. This time they managed to break into the Atlantic, and proceeded to sink twenty-two ships, returning to Brest in occupied France in March 1941. Here they became favorite targets of the Royal Air Force, with both ships being severely damaged and spending much of the year under repair and refit. It was here where both ships were refit with torpedo banks that had been landed by cruisers Leipzig and Nürnberg.

Having been joined in the meantime by cruiser Prinz Eugen on 11 February 1942, both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau left Brest for what famously became known as the Channel Dash. While the force managed to evade British attacks, both Gneisenau and Scharnhorst struck mines, Scharnhorst twice. All ships reached Kiel on the 13th of February. Scharnhorst spent several months under repair.

It was not until January 1943 when Scharnhorst was finally returned to action, and she was sent to the Arctic. With the increasing presence of Allied air and sea power, Scharnhorst failed to make port in Narvik until March, her earlier attempts having been abortive. Moving to Altafjord, she remained at anchor — with the exception of a single sortie with Tirpitz — until December 1943.

Her final voyage (which is now referred to as the Battle of the North Cape) began on Christmas Day, 1943. Ordered to intercept two Russia-bound convoys, she sortied with five destroyers under the command of Konteradmiral Erich Bey. Having intercepted one of the convoys on 26 December, Scharnhorst, which had separated from her destroyer screen, was in turn intercepted by the convoy screen, which contained battleship Duke of York, heavy cruiser Norfolk, light cruisers Belfast, Jamaica, and Sheffield, and eight destroyers. Engaged, Scharnhorst fought against numerically superior forces, blind, as her FuMO 27 radar was disabled early on due to shellfire from the Norfolk. Eventually, Scharnhorst was damaged by gunfire, then torpedoed, finally sinking with heavy loss of life.

Historical Gallery

• 

  Scharnhorst, circa 1939.

• 

  Scharnhorst in port during the winter of 1939–1940.

• 

  Scharnhorst in port.

• 

  Scharnhorst firing against HMS Glorious.

• 

  Scharnhorst at sea.

• 

  Aerial reconnaissance photo of Scharnhorst in Kiel after the Channel Dash.

• 

  Gneisenau (fore) and Scharnhorst (distance) as seen from Prinz Eugen during the Channel Dash.

• 

  Second view of Gneisenau (fore) and Scharnhorst (distance) from Prinz Eugen during the Channel Dash.

• 

  Scharnhorst in Kiel during the winter of 1939-1940.

• 

  An icy view of Scharnhorst's forward battery, 1939-1940.

• 

  Scharnhorst in Altafjord, Norway, 1943.

• 

  Survivors from Scharnhorst disembarking in Scapa Flow.

• 

  Memorial for Scharnhorst's crew, at Wilhelmshaven.

Ships of Germany

Battleships