Scharnhorst Class: Battleship or Battlecruiser? скачать в хорошем качестве

Scharnhorst Class: Battleship or Battlecruiser?

The Scharnhorst-class—Scharnhorst and Gneisenau—were among the most famous surface warships of the Kriegsmarine. Built in the interwar period and entering service just before the Second World War, they became the cornerstone of Germany’s surface fleet at the outbreak of war. But ever since, historians and naval enthusiasts have argued over a deceptively simple question: what were they supposed to be? Battleships, battlecruisers, or something in between? In today’s video, we tackle that classification debate head-on—but to do it properly, we need context. We start after the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet on June 21, 1919, and the harsh limitations imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, which forced the Reichsmarine to rebuild its future with strict tonnage and replacement limits. From early 1920s planning to the “ship replacement building plan,” Germany’s naval leadership worked toward larger, more capable warships as political and economic conditions shifted—especially once rearmament accelerated in the mid-1930s. From there, we explore how foreign reactions mattered. The appearance of the Deutschland-class provoked alarm abroad, and France’s response—Dunkerque and Strasbourg—pushed German planners toward a new design that would become the Scharnhorst class. These ships were officially associated with a “26,000-ton” figure, but their true displacement and combat load were higher. They combined heavy protection, high speed, and a main battery of nine 28.3 cm guns, creating a warship that never fit neatly into one category. Then we get to the heart of the argument. Why do so many English-language sources call them battlecruisers? There’s historical precedent: Allied officials and wartime communications often used the term, and modern writers point to their gun caliber relative to contemporary battleships, as well as their speed compared to classic battlecruisers. On the other hand, Germany designated them Schlachtschiffe—battleships—and their armor scheme was far closer to battleship standards than to the thinly protected battlecruisers of World War I. The “fast battleship” camp tries to bridge the gap, arguing that the ships were a product of their time: fast, hard-hitting, and intended to evolve—especially given that up-gunning to 15-inch (38 cm) weapons was seriously considered for Gneisenau. In the end, the labels matter less than the reality: these ships were designed under political constraints, strategic compromise, and a rapidly shifting naval arms race. Still, the debate is half the fun—so drop your take in the comments, and keep it respectful. Thanks for watching—please like, subscribe, and I’ll see you in the next one. Sources/Other Reading: Visiting Austrått fort: https://www.orland.no/en/austratt-fort/ https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Battles... https://www.amazon.com/Big-Guns-Atlan... https://hmsjervisbay.com/Story.Illust... https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Theat... https://hmsjervisbay.com/Story.HX84.php https://www.amazon.com/German-Light-C... https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Cruisers... https://www.amazon.com/Scharnhorst-Gn... Paintings Used: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/art... https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/obj... https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/art... Video Information: Copyright fair use notice. All media used in this video is used for the purpose of education under the terms of fair use. All footage and images used belong to their copyright holders, when applicable.