The battleship Scharnhorst was the first ship of the Scharnhorst class. Originally designed as a battleship with 380 mm main guns to meet future war needs, this design was not implemented during World War II. Scharnhorst was constructed at the War Naval Shipyard Wilhelmshaven in Germany, launched on October 3, 1936, and entered service on January 7, 1939.
In 1938, during trials, Scharnhorst was found to have insufficient premium bow freeboard. As a result, the bow underwent refitting in 1939. Following the outbreak of World War II, in 1940, Scharnhorst sank two ships of the Royal Navy, including the aircraft carrier Glorious and two destroyers, in the North Sea. However, Scharnhorst sustained damage from torpedoes fired by a British destroyer and required drydock repairs.
In 1941, Scharnhorst operated in the Atlantic Ocean, engaging in sea and destroy operations. During a two-month operation, Scharnhorst sank 22 merchant vessels, totaling 115,000 tons, significantly damaging Allied shipping.
On December 25, 1943, Scharnhorst sailed to attack an Allied convoy but was intercepted by the main fleet of the Royal Navy led by the battleship Duke of York. Despite putting up a fight, Scharnhorst was eventually sunk by the Duke of York.