Seventy years ago today, two British naval task forces intercepted the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst as she attempted to attack two Murmansk-bound convoys in the frigid waters of the North Cape. In a running fight with Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York, a heavy cruiser, three light cruisers, and nine destroyers, Scharnhorst was sunk with the loss of more than 1,900 crewmen. The Battle of North Cape was fought in limited visibility, with Scharnhorst firing nearly blindly for much of the fight. A fortuitous hit during an exchange with British cruisers earlier that morning had destroyed Scharnhorst’s radar mast.

-SNIP-

More of the story:http://xbradtc.com/2013/12/26/30425/

A good site military themed

SCHARNHORST and GNIESENAU have the sole distinction of being the only surface ships to sink a full sized fleet carrier [HMS GLORIOUS, off Norway on June 8th, 1941]. She was Germany's most active warship, sinking HMS RAWALPINDI [an armed merchant cruiser] in November, 1939 [in company with GNIESENAU, sinking 22 ships [again with GNIESENAU] during a commerce raid of some two months in early 1941[commanded by Fleet Admiral Lutjens, soon to die on BISMARCK], participating in the Channel dash, and participating in operations off Norway.

The ship's motto was "IMMER VORANS" [" ALWAYS FORWARD". She died living up to her motto. A beautiful warship.