Scharnhorst and its sister encountered, and avoided, several Royal Navy battleships engaged in convoy escort. The Kriegsmarine planned a massive naval operation for May 1941.

The Scharnhorst was the pride of the German navy, considered unsinkable by her crew. A witness describes how she was trapped and sunk by the Royal Navy in 1943.

The Scharnhorst was turning towards us now, and we were told to stand by ready to engage at 15,000 yards. The Commander then started counting off the yards, i.e. 32,000 yards, 31,000 yards, 30,000 ...

On 26 December 1943 one of the great sea battles of World War II took place. Germany's most famous battleship - the Scharnhorst - was sunk by Allied forces during the Battle of the North Cape.