Operation Berlin (Atlantic)
Operation Berlin was a raid conducted by the two German Scharnhorst-class battleships against Allied shipping in the North Atlantic between 22 January and 22 March 1941. It formed part of the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sailed from Germany, operated across the North Atlantic, sank or captured 22 Allied merchant vessels, and finished their mission by docking in occupied France. The British military sought to locate and attack the German battleships, but failed to damage them.
The German battleship Gneisenau in 1939; she served as the flagship for Operation Berlin
Vice Admiral Günther Lütjens in April 1940
HMS Ramillies in 1939
The seaplane of HMS Malaya being hoisted aboard
Scharnhorst-class battleship
The Scharnhorst class was a class of German battleships built immediately prior to World War II. The first capital ships of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, it comprised two vessels: Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Scharnhorst was launched first, and is considered to be the lead ship by some sources; they are also referred to as the Gneisenau class in some other sources, as Gneisenau was the first to be laid down and commissioned. They marked the beginning of German naval rearmament after the Treaty of Versailles. The ships were armed with nine 28 cm (11 in) SK C/34 guns in three triple turrets; plans to replace these with six 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 guns in twin turrets were never realized.
Illustration of the Scharnhorst class
Scharnhorst, before the fitting of the "Atlantic bow"
Scharnhorst's forward guns
Scharnhorst in harbor; the thickness of the armor belt is easily seen